Two of a Kind:: A Draco Malfoy Romance
by separate-sisters
Summary: What happens when Draco meets his match: a Slytherin girl who's just as smart and powerful as our favorite fullblood, and she can't stand HP, either? Why, they're rivals, of course. Until... rating for lating chapters, violence, sexuality, language
1. Don't Call Me 'Persy'

**Two of a Kind**

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. We do, however, own Persiopeia Black and all other original characters created for this story.**

Chapter 1: Don't Call Me 'Persy'

My name is Persiopeia Black. I am a relative of the once notorious Sirius Black. First rule about me: don't call me 'Persy'. Sirius used to call me that, just to get my dander up. Once he was sent to Azkaban, I never had to hear that ridiculous nickname again. Eleven years after he was dragged off to Azkaban, I entered Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After a short trip to Diagon Alley to pick up my school robes, books, and wand, I had to get on the Hogwart's Express to go to the castle that would be my home for every school year for the next seven years.

Things went as planned: When I reached the sorting hat, it remembered my family and put me where I belonged – Slytherin House. I'll never forget that year, for it was that year that the Brat Who Lived entered Gryffindor House, and Draco Malfoy became my fellow Slytherin.

I didn't pay much attention to Harry Potter, except to tease him; I mean, really, who in their right mind hangs out with the poverty-stricken Weasleys or a mouthy mudblood? Gryffindorks, all three.

Not that all of my fellow Slytherins are all the grand, either. Pansy Parkinson – ugliest witch alive, no questions asked. And with Crabbe and Goyle, well, say good morning and it takes them fifteen minutes to think up a response. The lot of them are beneath my reckoning.

All save Draco Malfoy. The boy would prove to be my biggest rival. We always competed, no matter what the contest. We each strove to be Professor Snape's prize pupil. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, we spent half our time casting hexes at each other, the other half on schoolwork and defending against the other's hexes.

The Potter boy and his trio of friends – the mudblood witch Hermione Granger, and the Weasley non-twins Ron and Ginny – were troublesome. Every time something went wrong, they were sure to be the cause. They fought the troll our first year. In our second year, Ginny Weasley found Tom Riddle's diary, was saved by Potter, and the diary was confiscated. I'm no Deatheater, but that pissed me off; it could have been a very important piece of evidence against Voldemort; it is his fault that my family is scattered to the four winds after his downfall. Third year, and we find out that Sirius Black, my own uncle, is not the powerful, vengeful wizard we thought he was!

He was a sorry excuse for a secret-keeper. He dropped the whole deal in Peter Pettigrew's lap, and the family's been disgraced ever since. He escaped from Azkaban to find Harry and 'make things right'. Yeah, by practically adopting the prat. He has a muggle set of relatives to care for him. He didn't need _my _uncle to take care of him. So what if he didn't like the Dursleys? Not my problem, that.

Somehow, Potter managed to enter the Tri-Wizard Tournament. And win. The shame that whole ordeal brought on the House of Slytherin. And the death of Cedric Diggory! At least he entered fair and square, not by hook and crook like Potter. Slytherin should have put a name forward. We would have won, hands down. But no, Cedric Diggory got it… and somehow, Harry Potter outwitted Dumbledufus and put his name in – and he was chosen! Well, that was absolutely awful. As a result, we Slytherins threw our support behind Diggory. Just our luck, he got himself killed.

And then our fifth year rolled around. I never saw it coming, but I was made a prefect. And it would have been perfect… except Draco Malfoy became the other prefect. We had to share the prefects' compartment all the way to Hogwart's that year. Then, our rooms were right next to each others in the prefects and Head boy/girls dormitory. Everything I would do, I would have to share with him. And that's where my story ends, and _our_ story begins.


	2. Fifth Years Doldrums

**Two of a Kind**

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. We do, however, own Persiopeia Black and all other original characters created for this story.**

Chapter 2: Fifth Year Doldrums

I remember where I was in my home when my letter came from Dumbledore. I was in the sitting room with my mother. She was lecturing me on my latest rejection of a proposal from a boy born into another pure-blooded family.

"Persiopeia Black, you will marry someday. If you want to remain part of this family, you will marry a pureblood. Up to this point, you have rejected every proposal from every acceptable young man. When are you going to grow up and accept your duty!" my mother had been on her usual line about my lack of suitors.

"It's certainly not my fault that they all have bad teeth, or body odor, or the intelligence of a gargoyle. Find me a boy with good teeth, no body odor, intelligence, and a good family line, and I'll accept him. Without that, no dice."

And I meant it. I was sick of meeting all these pretty boys with no brains. My parents just could not understand that I was more concerned with how I would have to live with whomever I marry. Don't get me wrong; I'm not looking for 'my one true love'. I just don't want to wake up every morning and dread when my husband rolls over and demands his… rights.

My mother and I were just getting into a good fight when my father and a maid stormed in.

"Persiopeia Black, what is the meaning of this letter?" my father was still wise enough not to open anything that came by owl for me. The fact that it came from Hogwart's, and it looked like Dumbledore's own writing probably helped my case.

"I don't know. May I see it? It is, anyway, addressed to me," I had been patient enough with my family that day, and I had had enough. I stood and crossed the room, and had ripped the letter from his hands. I broke the seal and read the letter aloud: "We are pleased to inform you, Persiopeia Black, that you have been chosen as Slytherin House's prefect. As you know, being chosen as prefect is your first step towards becoming Head Girl of your chosen house. When you arrive at Platform 9 ¾, you will meet up with your partner. You will know him by the prefect's badge he will be wearing; enclosed, you will find one of the same design. By the way, in order to help the first years, remember your pass-phrase: 'parselmouths belong with snakes'."

"Prefect! How delightful! And in Slytherin, your partner is undoubtedly a pureblood. Send an owl as soon as you arrive so we can arrange a meeting with his parents to discuss your prospects," my mother had said gleefully, and I knew that I could not get out of that.

"Persiopeia, it is time that you suck it up. Begin preparing for your journey back to school. And make sure you pack something…delightful…for your fellow prefect," my father had already made up his mind.

Two weeks later, I stood alone at the entrance Platform 9 ¾. As I looked around at the muggles surrounding the entrance, my mind felt fragmented. I was trying to make sure no muggles would see me enter. At the same time, I was worried about who the other prefect would be.

'Well, I know it won't be Crabbe or Goyle, that much is for sure. Flint is too old. Pansy. Pansy's a girl. And I'm already the female prefect…' I thought to myself, forgetting to look for the matching prefect badge, and also forgetting to look where I was going.

"Hey, watch it, Persy. With the way you walk around, one would think that you're a mudblood. Head down, eyes averted," Draco Malfoy's voice pierced my thoughts.

'Ballocks! He couldn't be the other prefect, could he?' I thought to myself. I dragged my eyes from the ground I looked intensely interested in to check the left side of his chest for the tell-tale badge. My, I had to crane my neck. I'm not short, but over the summer, he sure did grow. He towered over me, and his chest had become irresistibly wide and rather strong-looking. 'Shit! Stop thinking like that! Its dumb Draco, your rival – not your lover!'

"I know that I am unbelievably gorgeous, but stop staring at me," Draco said irritably as he pushed me through the pillar that was actually the entrance to Platform 9 ¾, and the Hogwart's Express.

"Don't push me around, Draco," I growled as I straightened my robes, hiding my face and blush. "I'm a prefect, and I soon as I find the other – What's that look for?" I demanded as a strange look clouded Draco's face.

He fished around in his trouser pocket and dragged out a small, irregularly shaped piece of fabric. Sending me an arrogant, sexy smirk, he affixed the fabric on his chest, above his left breast. "I'm your … partner. Better start checking on the first years, should we not, Pia?"

I shrank my trunk and thrust it into my pocket, then darted after him. "Don't call me that! My name is Persiopeia Black! Your mother is my distant cousin! Have respect for my family line!" I screeched as I struggled to keep up with him. He turned to me as I finally caught up with him. Unfortunately, I didn't see him until it was too late. I ran right into him.

Draco caught me and we fell against the side of the train. As I struggled to get up, we slipped again, and I ended up caught between his body and the side of the train.

"My, my, my, I thought I might enjoy those new curves you've grown into, but after supporting their weight, I believe not," Draco breathed into my ear. The hard wall of his chest moved away and I whimpered for loss of it.

"Get off of me right now, Draco Malfoy! And to think, I have to work with you!" I yelled, elbowing him hard in the side as I climbed aboard the train, turning towards the front, where the prefects' compartments were, and where the first years would undoubtedly congregate. I was cursing up a blue streak, and he just laughed at me! Thank Merlin there were no professors anywhere near. Slytherin would have lost points before the beginning of term for my outburst. My father in particular had been on me recently for my language. I'm not planning on changing it anytime soon, so he can say what he likes.

Luckily, Draco was currently being harassed by the mudblood and the Weasel King. Hmph. Like Draco could have thought of that on his own. All the Slytherins called all the Weasley boys that. Before he could call on Crabbe and Goyle for back-up, however, the youngest Weasley, Ginny, bat-bogeyed him.

"Draco, really, must your hormones act up all the time? Maybe you should just wash your face more often!" I called down the corridor, holding my stomach as I laughed. I don't like the so-called 'golden trio', or Ginny for that matter, but seeing Malfoy get his comeuppance after 'our little scene' was just … precious.

Unfortunately for me, Pansy Parkinson had managed to master at least one healing spell in the past five years. She cast it on the ferret and he was back to harassing me. I had finally managed to herd all the possible Slytherins into a compartment with some second years from our House, and I was ready to nap for the rest of the ride when he appeared in our compartment.

I was quite alone, as the other Houses prefects were still busily entertaining and herding the rest of the new first years. The Hufflepuffs were hanging around the Gryffindors, and the Ravenclaws were sharing compartments with our own House members. I was finally drifting off when the door to the compartment slammed open and Draco and Pansy stumbled in, snogging for all the world to see.

"Get her out of here!" I screeched as Pansy landed on me, knocking my breath from my lungs.

"Why should I? She's a Slytherin, just like us, and if it weren't for you, she'd be prefect," Draco sneered, snagging his arm around her rather ample waist.

"So, that's what you think, huh? It's my fault your dearest Pansy isn't a prefect?" I laughed. "I think that there is more to it than just me…like inbreeding; but thanks for the consideration. Now, Pansy, remove yourself from this compartment. I was resting, and you take up too much space."

"Me? Take up too much space? Well… what about you, Persy?" Pansy said, obviously trying to stake a claim on Draco. As she realized that her comeback was anything but snappy, she gripped his arm tightly and gave me a dirty look.

"You heard me. Get your larded arse out of the prefects' compartment. Being a Slytherin doesn't entitle you to this compartment. Out. Now."

"She's a pureblood. Give her some regard," Draco said venomously.

"I do give her regard. Plenty of regard for where her ass begins and ends, so I don't get squashed between it and the far wall. Now get out and shut the door so I can sleep!" I screeched, finally losing all my patience. "And as you leave, remember this Malfoy: get her pregnant, and she'll only get bigger!"

As I heard them force some pitiful Hufflepuffs out of a compartment, I turned on my side and covered my face with my hands.

'How can I let my parents know that Draco is the other prefect? A match with the house of Malfoy will have them salivating! I'll never get out of it; with Cousin Narcissa married to Lucius… they'll just want to strengthen the bloodlines. That settles it…'

"I just won't tell them Draco Malfoy is my fellow prefect!"

Outside the prefects' compartment, Pansy Parkinson had overheard the last bit of Persiopeia's conversation with herself. Smiling to herself, she realized how she could ruin the prefect's school life.

"If its Draco she dreads, then I'll just have to make sure she has plenty of reason! Mine, all mine, she better not forget," Pansy smirked to herself as she contemplated the ruin Persiopeia would face when her parents found out.


	3. How Could This Happen?

**Two of a Kind**

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. We do, however, own Persiopeia Black and all other original characters created for this story.**

Chapter 3: How Could This Happen!

My first few weeks of term went by rather quickly. The sorting hat put some uninteresting-looking candidates into Slytherin House, but they weren't my worry. My worry was the fact that I hadn't sent any owl to my parents. When they finally get around to sending me an owl, I figure I'll blame the whole thing on being too busy with classes and studying for my OWLs, which are happening at the end of the term.

I was in the middle of a rather difficult potion, waiting for it to change from sickly green to sickening green when an owl flew into the room through the open door. I wasn't paying it any mind, not until it swooped down and dropped a howler on my book.

"Bloody ballocks! What the hell is this about?" I screamed, tearing my eyes away from my potion. Professor Snape snapped his eyes towards me.

"Twenty points from – Black, that's a howler! Get it out of my classroom right now!" Professor Snape ordered me out of class, but not before Pansy Parkinson could add her two cents.

"I wonder why dear Persy would get a howler? It wouldn't be like her to not contact mummy and daddy, now would it?" Pansy sneered. I stopped in my tracks as I analyzed what she meant.

"You dipshit! D'you know what you've done?" I yelled as I headed for a prefects' bathroom, needing the privacy for what I knew would be a howler about Draco Malfoy. I braced myself as I slid to the floor beside the sinks in the spacious bathroom.

My worst fears were confirmed as I opened the bright red missive from my father and mother.

"Persiopeia Cornelia Black! You did not inform us that Draco Malfoy was your other prefect! On your next free weekend, you and Draco will both be traveling home for a meeting with the two families. You will not fuck this match up, do you hear me? You will do as told this time around, or I'll marry you to a Weasley, I swear it!" my father was obviously the one who had recorded this howler.

I slumped against the wall, tears running down my cheeks. My family would succeed in marrying me off, there was no escaping it. But to Draco Malfoy? That was a fate worse than death. I hate him!

Don't I?

One week later, I was in my family's oldest fireplace, courtesy of Dumbledore, Snape, and the Floo Network. Draco had apparently left the school before I had, because he and his parents were seated opposite my own parents in our parlor when I arrived.

"Mum, Father, I can explain. I was busy with classes, and I figured you'd guess that Draco was—" my father cut me off before I could explain myself.

"No need to lie to us, Persiopeia, dear. We have invited Draco and his parents here in hopes of arranging a match between the two of you. So sit down and look pretty," my father said with saccharine in his voice. "At least try to look pretty… Have you put on even more weight since the term began? Here's a clue: put the fork down!" he hissed in my ear as I sat next to him.

My father pinched my left breast discreetly as I seated myself. It was a silent reminder that at fifteen, I was more buxom than my own mother was after having me. In my family, a slender figure was more than admired: it was required. My early breasts had long been trouble for me, and it seemed like they would become even more so in the coming deliberations.

"While I appreciate the invitation, cousin dear," Narcissa Malfoy addressed my father, "It hardly seems fair to have taken you up on it when we already have a girl picked out for our darling boy, and her family agreed just before we left to come here."

My mother had a strangled look. Draco looked indifferent. His father smirked… I could see where Draco had gotten his from. My father plastered a smile on his face.

"Well, then, at least we can be the first to offer our congratulations. Well, I guess you've let another opportunity slip straight through your fingers, Persy," my father sneered at me. A tear of shock rolled down my cheek as my stomach roiled: he'd never attacked me in front of other people before. My, times had changed.

I looked around, trying to find a kind eye. Draco made an almost invisible gesture to me. I searched his face, and as I looked into his eyes, I saw a slight discoloration that I knew all too well: Draco had just gotten the shit beaten out of him by someone. He gave me an imperceptible nod of sympathy, then rose with his parents to leave.

"Umm, Narcissa," my mother began timidly.

"What do you want to know?" my father turned on my mother.

"Who are you betrothing Draco to?" my mother finished.

Narcissa stopped in her tracks. She looked at her husband, and when he nodded, she finally answered my mother.

"Pansy Parkinson."

"Hahaha!" I couldn't stop laughing. I just couldn't stop laughing when my dear, distant Cousin Narcissa blithely announced that her darling Draco would be marrying one of the most unattractive, insipid, untalented witches a pureblooded family had ever produced. Even with all my father had subjected me to during that brief meeting, I still found hilarity in the fact that my biggest rival had literally been sentenced to a marriage of breeding alone.

Luckily for me, the Malfoys were already out of the parlor when I cracked up. My father hit me hard across the mouth for my troubles.

"Shut your mouth, you insolent, uncouth little wench! Do you know what you have lost by losing the Malfoy match? And to Pansy Parkinson, of all people! Get out of my house! Get out now! An owl will be sent if and when we decide to let you return home!" my father screamed as he grabbed my arm and shoved me into the nearest fireplace. "Hogwart's!"

My mind reeled as I suddenly found myself back at the school. My common room was full of people, and to my dismay, Pansy was holding court right at the center of it all.

"And to think, that Weasley-looking girl was after my darling Draco! She never sent word to her parents because she was trying to hook him before they knew, to force the match!" Pansy was putting on a real show, and a growing group of first and second years was listening with baited breath. "Well, you know, Draco and I have always been so close, so I immediately sent word, warning his parents. My own family had set a match for me, with a handsome oldest son of an old Welsh pureblood family, a family with connections and hereditary lands. But, in an effort to spare the Malfoys and the Blacks – the _honorable_ Blacks, that is – my parents offered to sever the match to secure a proper wife for Draco." Pansy turned and gave me the most saccharine sweet, insincere, bitchy smirk she could muster. I must add, the unsightly blemishes that marked her as almost a woman certainly did detract from the entire picture.

"Sod off, you little bitch! Like your family could manage to match you to any boy with working eyes, let alone with connections and hereditary lands. And you, honorable? Let's ask Crabbe and Goyle and Zabini how _honorable_ you are after a roll in the hay behind Hagrid's hovel. I think its more likely you've got Draco's bun in your oven than your family is trying to help anyone else! And what do you mean by 'the honorable Blacks' – you referring to my uncle? Or me?" I didn't even wait for her to splutter out a reply before I turned on my heel and headed for my dormitory.

'All I need now is a visit from Draco to make my night,' I thought as I stretched out on my bed, waiting for sleep to take me.


	4. Draco Speaks

**Two of a Kind**

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. We do, however, own Persiopeia Black and all other original characters created for this story.**

Chapter 4: Draco Speaks

Draco's pov

I couldn't believe the owl I received from my mother. She never sent me anything of her own accord, not once in all my years at Hogwart's. My father never let her, said she'd fuck it up like she always did, like she did when he allowed her to rear me. I had only been ten when he took over 'parenting' me, as he called it.

He beat me any time I disagreed, and looked at him cross-eyed… Anything was an excuse to beat discipline into me. But this time, he went too far: he engaged me to Pansy Parkinson, the most unattractive, insipid, untalented witch a pureblooded family had ever produced. The only reason she got to hang around me at school was because she was an easy lay; I found that out from Blaise Zabini, the arrogant prick. He had gotten her tipsy during her first trip to Diagon Alley; at twelve years old, she was old when she first entered Hogwart's. In Diagon Alley, she had been celebrating her earlier birthday when she encountered Zabini, who mixed firewhiskey into her butterbeer. In her resulting drunken stupor, Zabini took her to a room above one of the shops and had raped her, basically.

The only person who didn't see it as rape was Pansy herself. She'd always been full of herself, and she thought she was the hottest thing when she realized who had taken her virginity. She still follows Zabini in hopes of a real relationship; everyone else sees it as the joke it is: Zabini sleeps with her when he can't get anyone else, and tells her she needs more experience before he'll settle down with her. So she'll sleep with almost anyone, so long as he is a pureblood. Crabbe and Goyle alerted it to me once after a failed attempt to have a 'relationship' with an older, somewhat simple Hufflepuff who had been rather unpopular. She had seen right through me, though, and I ended up giving it up to Pansy Parkinson.

She followed me around incessantly as well; when one can't find Pansy trying to cozy up to Zabini, she's lying in wait for me. I thought I'd be in the clear when I heard that Zabini might've screwed up a contraception charm. Then I got an owl from my mother.

Once I got the owl, I packed a bag and went straight home. My father was waiting for me outside the fireplace when I got home.

Before I could even say hello, my father sandbagged me with a right hook. As I tried to get up, he kicked my nose back into my face. He would have continued his assault on my face had my mother not shown up when she did.

"Lucius," my mother had whispered.

"Not now, Narcissa, dear. I'm busy fixing what you did to my son," my father said harshly, turning back to me to continue the pain.

"My darling Draco… Your face," my mother's eyes filled with tears as she raced across the large room, her arms reaching out to me. My father stopped attacking my face as my mother reached us. I was cringing; I knew my nose was broken.

"You're right, love. Don't want to screw up our negotiations with an ugly face," my father started to aim for my stomach. My mother cried out as my father kept kicking me. I spat up blood, and I knew that if he didn't stop soon, I'd pass out.

"Let me heal him!" My mother shouted at my father, the most forceful I'd ever heard her. Without waiting for his consent, my mother pulled her wand out and healed most of my facial injuries, at least my broken nose and cuts, if not the circles ringing my eyes.

"No!" my father lashed out at my mother then, kicking her legs out from under her, and delivering a sharp blow to her back as she fell. She was out cold when she hit the ground. I crawled over to her, trying to shield her from his attacks before I finally passed out.

When I woke, I was still on the floor in front of the fireplace. I could tell by the light that I had been out all night. It was early morning, and I alone was on the floor. My mother had been removed to her rooms, but my father and his latest conquest, a maid who'd certainly not been of age when she came to the household, were waiting my awakening.

"You got Pansy Parkinson pregnant. You will be marrying her. We received an owl from her family demanding a match yesterday morning. We had been ready to negotiate with the Blacks for their daughter, Persiopeia, but you've certainly fucked that up. We leave for their manor in twenty minutes. Wash up, drag your mother into something presentable, and be back here in twenty minutes, or else," my father left the threat hanging in the air as he settled the terrified maid in his lap. She was a squib, born to a magical family, probably a pureblooded one, but without magic herself. They had sold her to my father as a maid, but we had house-elves. Everyone knew that the oldest families did things like this, but my father was one of the basest practitioners: he bought the girls, used them up, beat them, then cast memory charms on them and dumped them in muggle towns and villages, with nothing to help them, not even enough knowledge to survive for very long without resorting to the same derogative lifestyle they had lived in at this manor. Needless to say, I couldn't prove this to anyone.

I rose and sought out my mother, who had by then awakened and was cradling her stomach. She looked at me and smiled weakly. I crossed the room to check on her, but she waved me off. "Draco, you must get ready to leave. I don't want to know what your father will do if we are late. Put on your nicest robes and wash your face. My charm seems to have helped. I'll meet you and your father at the fireplace shortly. And Draco? Please eat something. You look terrible."

I just stared at my mother. Every time my father beat one or both of us, she'd rally, then he'd beat her and she'd let it pass. But this time, she admitted that it would be worse if we upset him. I left her rooms to find mine and get dressed. I threw on my game-day robes, which were the nicest ones I owned outside of my dress robes. I stopped by the kitchen on my way back to the fireplace and grabbed some toast.

Big mistake. My stomach hadn't recovered from the beating, and I almost ended up wearing the toast. Disgusted, I tossed it and headed to meet my parents for the disastrous meeting. Before I entered the fireplace to use the Floo Network, I tried to explain to my father about Pansy.

"I slept with her once, during my third year. I haven't touched that bint since then, I swear it. If she's pregnant, it's Zabini's, or Crabbe's, or any other male within Hogwart's and Hogsmeade. But it's NOT MINE!" I tried to reason with my father. I received a swift kick to my upper leg for my troubles; my father must want some sort of grandchild later on, because my groin was mostly spared.

He grabbed me by the collar and dragged me into the fireplace, screaming "Black Manor!"

I was lucky; Persiopeia wasn't there when we arrived. I would at least be spared having to confront her with the farce of me having a 'blessed event' with Pansy Parkinson. My parents and I were escorted into a large parlor and seated by a frumpy old house-elf. Persiopeia Black's parents were waiting for us.

"Ah, Necromana, Titus, how wonderful to see you," my father said with a fake smile. Not to be outdone, Titus Black said something just as un-witty as my father, and both women were left in a state of quiet tension, a sure sign that my father is not the only one who beats submission into his family. Necromana, his wife, greeted my mother quietly, then turned and bowed to my father and me, not saying anything at all to either of us. That earned her a dirty look from her husband, and as I sat, my stomach roiled at how pathetic both women were: neither one seemed like she would ever stand up for herself against her husband.

Then, Persiopeia showed up.

I'll never forget how she looked when she arrived. She was flustered and her robes were askew, showing off that, like Pansy, she'd grown up. She was not slender, not one bit, but she was… perfect. Curves in all the right places and I knew from the guys that she'd never been tasted. Suddenly, I knew that I was going to embarrass myself, so I turned my gaze from her body and stared at the floor.

'I hate her! She's my greatest rival. And I'm to marry Pansy. It is just hormones,' I thought to myself as I fought to gain control over my body.

"Mum, Father, I can explain. I was busy with classes, and I figured you'd guess that Draco was—" Persiopeia was cut off by her father before I could get the rest of what she was saying about me.

"No need to lie to us, Persiopeia, dear. We have invited Draco and his parents here in hopes of arranging a match between the two of you. So sit down and look pretty," her father said in a sickly sweet tone. I recognized that tone, and it scared me.

'What is going on here? He doesn't—" my thoughts were cut off abruptly when I caught the rest of what Titus said to his daughter.

"At least try to look pretty… Have you put on even more weight since the term began? Here's a clue: put the fork down!" he hissed at her, and I saw tears form in Pia's eyes before they hardened as she looked at me. As she sat, I saw her father pinch her breast and I started out of my seat before I could stop myself. I caught myself before anyone noticed.

'I'll kill him myself; he has no right to touch Pia like that' the thought came unbidden. I closed my eyes and told myself that I was upset because I saw the same things that happened to me happening to someone who obviously couldn't protect herself. 'Then why call her Pia all the time?'

My mother filled the silence by telling them about the match that had been arranged for me. Necromana Black fought back a cry. Pia caught my eye, then cast her gaze to the floor.

Titus Black had the audacity to speak. "Well, then, at least we can be the first to offer our congratulations. Well, I guess you've let another opportunity slip straight through your fingers, Persy," he said viciously, completely not affected by the fact that my family was still there. He obviously took delight in hurting her, and it disgusted me.

I tried to catch Pia's attention, to let her know that she wasn't alone. I don't know if she saw it, but I tried to nod in sympathy. My face hurt so much at that point, I can't tell if I managed it. My parents and I got up to leave, but as we reached the door to the hall, Necromana said something quietly.

"Umm, Narcissa," she began, before she was cut off by Titus.

"What do you want to know?" he said cruelly, as if she had no right to breathe without his express permission.

She continued in a slightly stronger voice at a nod from my mother. "Who are you betrothing Draco to?"

"Pansy Parkinson."

Then Pia started to laugh at me! Not giggling, or a chuckle, but a full-on belly laugh that I recognized from our rivalry in Defense Against the Dark Arts – the laugh she'd let out whenever she was most amused or happy. From the look on her parents' faces, she obviously didn't use it much at home. My parents and I were in the hall as she laughed. They continued on, but I knew something bad was going to happen, so I stopped and looked back in on her.

As I turned to see Pia once more before I left, her father cracked her across the mouth, so hard her head snapped back. I knew I couldn't do anything for her, so I headed for the fireplace we had come from. Something stopped me from leaving with my parents. I stepped back from the fireplace, saying I'd go back to the school from the Black Manor. I waited till they were gone, then I stupidly waited to see if Pia would come find me.

Before I could go find her, I saw Titus Black drag his daughter from the parlor by her arm. When he reached a fireplace, he let go of her arm and grabbed her by her bright red, Weasley-ish hair.

"Shut your mouth, you insolent, uncouth little wench! Do you know what you have lost by losing the Malfoy match? And to Pansy Parkinson, of all people! Get out of my house! Get out now! An owl will be sent if and when we decide to let you return home!" he threw her into the fireplace so hard I could her the CRACK as she collided with its back wall. "Hogwart's!" he roared. Pia flashed in the green light and vanished back to the school.

I stepped into the fireplace and left for the school in hopes of finding out what the hell was going on. When I arrived, things were in a shambles: Pansy Parkinson was busily entertaining younger students and anyone who would listen about our 'engagement', and Pia was on the warpath. I never did hear what exactly Pansy said, but I sure did hear Pia.

"Sod off, you little bitch! Like your family could manage to match you to any boy with working eyes, let alone with connections and hereditary lands. And you, honorable? Let's ask Crabbe and Goyle and Zabini how _honorable_ you are after a roll in the hay behind Hagrid's hovel. I think its more likely you've got Draco's bun in your oven than your family is trying to help anyone else! And what do you mean by 'the honorable Blacks' – you referring to my uncle? Or me?" Pia was fuming, her breasts heaving in her exertion. She huffed off towards her dormitory, muttering to herself, leaving Pansy red-faced and speechless.

"Anyone who can leave Pansy speechless is worth my consideration," I whispered to myself as I headed from the corner I was occupying to the prefects' dormitories. I needed to talk to Pia, and for some reason, I needed her to know that I didn't get Pansy pregnant.


	5. Back at Hogwart's

**Two of a Kind**

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. We do, however, own Persiopeia Black and all other original characters created for this story.**

Chapter 5: Back at Hogwart's…

Persiopeia's pov

I don't know what I thought yelling at Pansy Parkinson would do, or how it would make me feel. I know that I should have rejoiced at the fact that my parents can't marry me off to Mouth-foy, but for christ's sake, I lost a match to Pansy Parkinson! I threw my covers off of me in an attempt to get comfortable on my bed, but my mind was having nothing of it.

'You're upset because you lost to Pansy Parkinson,' was my first, most reasonable thought.

'You're upset because you pity Draco,' came the next thought.

'Your father just has you freaked out,' and I agreed with that one.

Then, out of nowhere, one last, troubling thought disturbed my musings: 'Maybe, you're upset about him, not your father, not Pansy, but about Draco.'

I was sick of my own company. I had started to get out of bed when I received a surprise visitor: Draco Malfoy.

Draco's pov

I don't quite recall how I ended up finding out the secret of climbing to the girls' dormitory. It may have come from Zabini, or Crabbe, or perhaps Pansy herself. I'd never used that knowledge before, but that night, when Pia stormed off to her room, I knew how useful that knowledge could be. I figured the girls' prefects' dorms would be much the same: the floor becomes slippery and uneven, and when a guy steps down, a screaming siren goes off to alert the Head of House and other professors that an 'intruder' was making his way to the girls.

Everyone in the common room was busy paying attention to Pansy, who was milking Pia's outburst for all it was worth. Pia was already rather unpopular, and Pansy was going to completely sink her reputation. I knew I couldn't stop that, so I headed for Pia's room, which was not too far from mine, save for the fact that I had to trick the dormitory. I said a silent thank-you to Pansy, who unwittingly made it possible for me to find Pia. Who am I kidding? Pansy did everything unwittingly. She is Pansy, after all.

Turns out that by the time you become a prefect, the Headmaster must trust you or figure that you'd break his charms, because there were no 'security measures' that I had to break. I just walked up to her door. I heard the thrashing of a body on sheets when I arrived at Pia's door. I hadn't seen Zabini all day, and the noises I heard made my blood run cold. I threw my shoulder into the door, completely disregarding the fact that my wand was in my hand. When I opened it, I don't know what I expected, but I know what I saw.

Pia was tossing and turning, muttering to herself, but she was not being attacked.

"Next time you worry me, can you at least have the decency to actually be in danger," I growled at her, and she sat up and looked at me.

"What in bloody hell are you doing here!" she screeched, launching herself off of her bed. Bad idea, because she was only in a big t-shirt, not even shorts, just a shirt and panties. I saw her shapely legs, watched them until they reached the hem of the most seductive quidditch t-shirt I'd ever seen. She wasn't wearing a bra, I could tell by the way her breasts heaved as she yelled at me.

Pia launched herself at me, colliding in an effort to shove me out of her room; I moved a fraction of an inch, so when she hit me, we fell against the door, closing it tight. I heard a click, and I knew that she had previously charmed it to lock upon closing.

I looked deep into her eyes, the darkest green I had ever seen, and before I could stop myself, I leaned down and kissed her, so gently I thought I had not touched her.

A slap told me I had.

Persiopeia's pov

"What the bloody hell d'you think you're doing!" I screeched as I broke Malfoy's kiss. I knew I was in trouble when I started to like it; that's when I had ended the kiss. I felt my body react too well to his presence, and it felt like my bed was mocking us.

Malfoy just looked at me as if I'd confiscated his favorite toy. I felt much the same way. I wanted to know what would have happened if I had let him continue: would he have kissed me, held me; made love to me? Or would he hold it against me, set me up, and elevate Pansy's importance? I felt the tears begin, so I stood and let him up.

"Draco," I said quietly, not believing I let myself say his name, "You need to not be here. Pansy's in the common room, and if she were to go looking for you and find you here…" I trailed off.

"Who gives a bloody shit about PP? I'm here with you right now, and I thought you were being attacked by Zabini or worse. What was all the noise I heard before I came in?" Draco said harshly, and his voice was rough. He was worried about me! The little bugger cared about me.

"No one was attacking me! I couldn't sleep, not after PP –is that what you called her? How fitting—and that dreadful meeting, my father, and you getting her pregnant," all my words came out in a hurry, and I said more than I realized.

"I came here to tell you I didn't get her pregnant. I don't want to marry her, or be with her, or anyone—Why am I explaining myself to you? You do nothing but aggravate me. I'm leaving, but I'll be back to collect you for our rounds before last toll at midnight. Take a nap until then; you looked like you needed to recover after your father and his escapades," Draco rasped, turning and opening the door to let himself out.

"That's it? You're just going to leave? You didn't get her pregnant, you don't want her or anyone else? And I aggravate you? And what do you mean about my father, Draco? I don't know what you think you saw, but you're wrong, whatever you think," I said to his back. He stiffened and turned to regard me with a peculiar light in his eyes.

"You know what I think, 'Pia? If he so much as thinks of touching you again, I think I'll go mad and kill him," Draco said, and before I could stop him, he was across the room and kissing me again. I didn't pull away this time, and when I opened my eyes, he was gone.

I crawled into bed and cried in my confusion: did I want him to kiss me, or did I want him to rid me of my father?

Draco's pov

"Bloody fucking HELL! What was that? I need to get a hold of myself, before I fuck everything up…I can't do a thing, I'm engaged to Pansy. And 'Pia's father will surely secure a match for her to some prick who doesn't know the treasure he's been given. And all this because you fucked up a bloody elementary contraception charm!" I screamed at Blaise Zabini, who had been waiting for me back in my room, on the boys' side of the prefects' rooms.

"So sorry, charlie, but I can't do a thing. All you can do now is hope that her parents marry her off to someone who won't beat the shit out of her. And how do we know that you didn't get Pansy pregnant? We all know you fancy her, and she you," Zabini drawled as he looked over my things. The bloody arrogant prick. He got me into this, and I'm stuck with all the repercussions. "Besides, a match with Pansy will only bring you closer to real power; on top of that, at least she doesn't look like a Weasley. Plus, I heard that charming Pia's a real slag. Don't worry, she'll do just fine."

Zabini got up and left, and his last statements scared me. What did he have planned? I know that he's always had a soft spot for redheads, but Pia had always turned him down, and according to him, her rather Weasley-ish look was a definite turn-off.

I felt tired, but as I looked at my clock, I realized that it was time to collect Pia and start our rounds.

Persiopeia's pov

I was in the middle of a rather naughty dream about Draco and the prefects' bathroom when the real thing gently shook me awake. I saw his face come into view and blushed to match my hair.

"Erm, hello. Is it time for rounds already?" I squeaked. My body was more than happy to adjust from dreaming about Draco to being with him, but I was just mortified at the idea of him finding out how he figured into my shadowy sex dreams.

"Yeah, but you look like you were enjoying your rest. If you like, I can come back later, or do the rounds myself," Draco said quietly. I shook my head and climbed out of the modest bed and reached for my robes. Draco with his height advantage grabbed them for me and held them out for me to shrug into.

"Thanks. Why are you being such a gentleman? You're engaged. You kissed me, not once, but twice, earlier, and now you're a gentleman? What's going on?" I said as we stepped into the hall. I locked my door and turned to regard Draco, who had been strangely silent.

"Nothing, Pia. Just thinking on something someone said to me earlier. D'you know who your parents are going to match you with, now that I'm out of the picture?" Draco said with an intense look in his eyes. He held his arm out, and I took it as we headed for the castle proper to start our rounds.

"No, and I won't until my father sends an owl to let me know I can come home. If they'll let me," I said with a fake smile. We had come across a couple of third-year Ravenclaws who were busily studying… anatomy.

"Get to your Houses! It is time for little third-years to be in bed," Draco snarled at them. They dashed off and Draco turned his attention back to me. "Pia, I don't care who it is, but owl me as soon as you know."

"Why? It won't be you, and it won't be Pansy, so what's your get?" I asked irritably. There were very few students to be dealt with, so there was no way I'd get out of his scrutiny anytime soon.

"Just something I heard earlier. Please, just let me know, okay?" Draco kissed my forehead gently, and I could tell he was worried.

"Alright," I said. We finished our rounds without consequence, and we said a quiet good-night. I climbed back into bed, and for the first time in my life, I think I cried over a guy.

Draco's pov

If Zabini thinks he's going to get anywhere near Pia, I'll kill him. Merlin, I've now threatened two men if they get near her. It's time to accept it:

I've fallen for Pia.

I've fallen for Pia, and I'm engaged to Pansy Parkinson, who is carrying Blaise Zabini's spawn. I'm fucked. Actually, I'm not, and that's probably why I'm so frustrated. But damn it all, I shouldn't have to deal with all this. I need to figure out a way to get rid of Pansy and keep Zabini out of trouble. And I need to figure out what I can do about Pia.

But before I can do anything, I need to sleep. I climbed into bed and let sleep take me.

My dreams troubled me. I kept dreaming of my wedding to Pansy, and she'd go into labor and somehow it would be mine, and Pia would never forgive me. Another dream was of Pia's own wedding, o Zabini. I was a guest and I kept waiting for the priest to get to the part about anyone not thinking the two should get married, but it wouldn't come. I woke in a cold sweat and looked at my clock; it read 5:55 am.

I knew that I'd have to be up at 6:30 to shower and get ready for breakfast. I gave up on going back to sleep. I got out of bed and headed for the shower, figuring I could get Pia to go to breakfast with me. I got into my bathroom and turned the water on full blast on high heat. I climbed in and let my mind wander, finding myself in the middle of a rather nice dream featuring Pia.

In my dream, she crept into my room, afraid she'd never find me. I called out to her, and she found me in the shower. She joined me and we lavished attention on one another, and I savored the first taking of her body. When she said she loved me, though, I knew it was a dream; I opened my eyes and was grateful that I was in the shower and not my bed. I would have had a right mess to clean up otherwise. I jerked the faucet back to the cold side and let it freeze my hormones. I got out of the shower and reached for my regular clothes.

I may be a prefect, but I'm taking advantage of the fact that the rules about clothing under school robes have been quite relaxed since my first year. So long as a student had appropriate robes to wear over them, he or she could wear whatever under. I grabbed my jeans and a t-shirt, and threw my robes into my bag. It was 6:30, but I figured that Pia had slept about as well as I had, so I hoofed it to her dorm, not wanting to be caught by Pansy. That one is definitely a poster-child for starving yourself, if I ever saw one.

When I reached Pia's door, my heart sped up and stopped. Suddenly, I wondered if she'd be angry that I showed up so early, or that I showed up at all. I stood there for five long, full minutes before I turned on my heel and headed for the Great Hall alone.

Persiopeia's pov

I didn't sleep well, to say the least. Number one, the younger prefects get the crappiest rounds and hours than the older ones, and the head boy and girl get the best; number two, I'm worried about whether or not I'll ever get to go home and who my father will marry me off to; and lastly, I don't know what the hell is going on with Draco and Pansy, and why he brought up Zabini. I couldn't even get back to the dream I was having about Draco when he woke me up for our rounds.

I finally got up and headed for my shower at about ten till 6 am. I slipped into the shower and daydreamed about Draco and his full mouth and his broad shoulder until the water ran cold. I stepped out and toweled myself off briskly. I wrapped a large towel about my body and a smaller one around my head, in an effort to dry my Weasley-ish hair. I stepped into my room and reached for whatever was nearest, thanks to the relaxed dress-code. I stepped into a mid-length pleated skirt and a stretchy top. I slipped my shoes on and as I went to put my robes in my bag, I heard footsteps outside my door. I froze as I strained to hear who it was.

After what seemed an eternity, but was really only five minutes, the footsteps started again, and this time I could tell that they were headed away from my room. I grabbed my robes and bag and dashed out the door to see who had been there. All I could see was a jean-clad leg as whoever it was ran off.

I was a little depressed by not knowing who it was, but my stomach started grumbling. Rubbing it absently, I headed for the Great Hall and breakfast.

It was only about 6:30 when I got down to the Great Hall, so there were no Hufflepuffs, a few Gryffindors and Slytherins, and a slew of those brown-nosing Ravenclaws. I had to pass by the Gryffindor table as I headed for my own Slytherin table, and as my luck would have it, the golden trio and Ginny Weasley were busily tucking in.

"My, my, my, is it really so bad at the burrow that you have to eat double here now, Weasel King?" I taunted. My morning was crap, why shouldn't theirs be as well?

"Don't you talk to Ron like that!" the little mudblood screeched, reaching for her wand.

"Like what, you filthy mudblood? D'you think he'll make you his queen? Like he'd have an extra pound to pay for the paper to get a marriage license let alone a ring. But here's something to brighten your day: its not like any self-respecting family would let him marry in, not with his poverty-stricken, muggle-loving family coming along for the ride," I sneered, and I realized how much I sounded like Draco.

Potty stood up. Apparently, he was actually going to do something for once, not just let Granger and the bumbling Weasleys take care of everything. He pulled out his wand and was about to hex me when he suddenly dropped it and turned to Ron, embracing him and trying to kiss him. Hermione and Ginny just looked at the two boys. They had no idea of what was actually happening, but I did.

I used this on Draco and Goyle back in our third year Defense Against the Dark Arts class, as retaliation for Draco charming all my quills to put down 'Persiopeia Weasley' whenever I had to sign my name. I started to laugh as Ron and Harry desperately tried not to kiss one another. I was almost bent over in hysterics when I felt someone come up behind me and put an arm around my waist.

"My, how times have changed. Well, Ginny, at least you still have Hermione. Would you care for some help?" Draco asked in a silky, sexy voice. Ginny blushed red and reached for Harry's arm as Hermione reached for Ron. They managed to pull the two boys apart and all four ran from the Great Hall. I thought Draco was going to pull me closer, but as soon as that lot left the Great Hall, I felt him pull back. He walked away from me, and I stood there stock-still. He seated himself at our House table, and beckoned for me to follow.

Even though I didn't trust my legs, I made my way over to him. Draco patted the chair next to him and I took the seat, feeling a blush stain my cheeks. It was so early that we had the table nearly to ourselves. We both piled our plates high and started eating, and a companionable silence settled over us. We finished eating and sat talking for a while. We had time left before classes and I pulled my homework out: Transfigurations.

I was busy trying to figure out a different way to explain the differences between lycanthropes and other were-animals and the animagus when it seemed the rest of the castle had finally decided to eat. Draco was about to address me when Pansy Parkinson waddled over to us. I opened my mouth to excuse myself, but Pansy was determined to ignore me. I started to push my chair out to leave and she sat on my lap!

PANSY PARKINSON SAT ON ME!

"Get your larded arse off of me! Right now, Pansy! I swear, I'll hex you into next week," I squealed, trying to foist her rather large form off of my body. Being around Pansy did make me feel rather svelte, though. Finally, I managed to shove her off of me and I left. Actually, I stormed out of the Great Hall, and I hexed quite a few first years from every House on my way out. I was through with that charade.

Draco's pov

I am pissed at Pansy. First, she acts as if I'm the one who got her pregnant. Then, she manages to press my parents into engaging me to her. After that, she spreads word at the school of her version of the world. And now, she has ruined another chance for me to talk to Pia. I'm worried about what will happen to her if her parents disown her, but I'm more worried about what her parents will require of her to keep her in the family.

I sat patiently while Pansy scarfed down whatever food she found in front of her. I waited for her to take a breather so I could say something to her. And I waited. And waited.

Fifteen minutes passed, and I couldn't take it anymore. "Pansy," I hissed, grabbing her arm mid-forkful. "You were extremely rude to Pia. Don't do it again, unless you like detention. I'm going to class now, but later on, I want a full explanation of why I'm stuck with you, instead of you being with Zabini."

I stormed off to Transfigurations, keeping an eye out for Pia as I went. When I finally found her, Zabini had her cornered outside the Transfigurations classroom. She was backed up against the wall, and Zabini was leaning over her, breathing down the side of her neck. Her head was turned to the side, and I could see a bruise beginning around the eye I could see. I came up behind Zabini quietly, and caught Pia's eye. She made a nearly imperceptible gesture to let me know she knew I was there. As I came up behind Zabini, I pulled my fist back.

I wasn't actually going to hit Zabini. I was only going to slam my fist into the wall beside Pia in an effort to scare him off. But as I aimed for the wall, Zabini leaned in even closer and licked his tongue up her neck. I lost control of my body and I ended up slamming my fist into the back of his head. Pia ducked, and his head bounced off of my face, ending up with his face slamming into the wall. He bounced off the wall and collapsed to the ground. I grabbed Pia's hand and ran for the Room of Requirement. I ran back and forth in front of it three times, concentrating on needing a place to talk to Pia and wait out the worst of the consequences of beating Zabini.

We entered the Room of Requirements and I thought about a place for us to sit and talk. A small, comfy-looking loveseat appeared. I took Pia's hand and led her to it. We sat, but before I could say anything, Pia threw her arms around me and started crying softly into my shoulder. I didn't know what to do, so I put my arms around her and let her cry herself out.

"Sh, 'Pia, it'll be okay, I promise. I promise I'll be here to protect you form him, no matter what else happens, Pansy or not.He'll never touch you again, I swear it," I was ready to say anything to stop the pitiful sobs that were coming from the redhead I was holding. After a while, she quieted herself and pulled away from me. I leaned down and kissed her gently. She responded slowly, opening her mouth to mine, letting my tongue slip in. She sighed a little, and I pulled back, looking deep into her green eyes. She closed her eyes and leaned against my chest. Her breasts were crushed against my chest at that angle, and I felt my mouth water. "'Pia, if you're not careful, you're not going to be a virgin much longer," I whispered hoarsely. She smiled at me drowsily and lifted her lips to mine. I took what she offered, and the kiss deepened.

It seemed like we kissed for an eternity. Her hands crept up my sides, snaking around to my back, which she lightly scratched through my shirt. I leaned her back against the end of the loveseat and stretched out over her. I slipped my hand up her shirt as her eyes closed in anticipation. I stopped when I felt the scratchy lace against the silk of her skin. Her eyes opened and she sent me a husky smile. I slipped her bra up over her breasts and toyed with one of her nipples. It pebbled immediately, and she gasped at the response her body gave me. She smiled and lifted her shirt to give me better access. I took her shirt over her arms and head and reached around her torso to undo her bra in the back.

I threw her bra across the room and continued my gentle assault on her breasts. Soon she was gasping and sighing, her eyes the darkest, duskiest grey-green I'd ever seen them. I tongued one nipple, then the other. Finally, as her eyes closed one last time, I leaned down and gently bit first none, then the other of her nipples. I thought she was going to pass out, with the sounds she made and the gyrations she did. She stretched and arched her back, but when she recovered, her eyes were still smoky. I figured that I was either going to get slapped or yelled at, but I knew I wasn't going to get any farther than that with Pia.

I was wrong.


	6. Bad Boy

**Two of a Kind**

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. We do, however, own Persiopeia Black and all other original characters created for this story.**

Chapter 6: Bad Boy

Pia's pov

_**Remember the feelings  
Remember the day  
my stone heart was breaking  
my love ran away  
This moment I knew I would be someone else  
My love turned around and I felt**_

I was on cloud nine when Draco lifted his head from my breasts. I couldn't stop moving, thanks to his wonderful technique. For a split second, I wondered if he had ever used it on any other girl, if he had ever used it on Pansy. I shook my head mentally, then set to the task at hand.

You know what they say: 'You show me yours, and I'll show you mine.' Now was my chance to get Malfoy, make him feel like he made me feel.

He had leaned back against the opposite end of the couch. My shirt and bra were strewn somewhere around the room, so I was rather unencumbered. I got up on my knees and crossed the short distance to him. He looked down at me with a strange light in his eyes. When I reached him, he cupped my face in his hands and brought me up to kiss his luscious mouth. I kissed him fiercely. Not only is he the best kisser, he is the only one I've ever kissed. That made it even better.

I pulled away from his lips and gave him the sexiest smile I could manage. I pulled his shirt up and kissed my way down his chest. Draco pulled his shirt off and leaned back, giving me better access to his body. I stopped kissing when I reached his navel. I bit the sensitive skin just between his navel and the waist of his pants. I concentrated on that skin for a while, until I could feel his hips begin to buck. I reached for the snap and fly on his pants, but my shame overcame me at that point.

I became shy and my face grew hot. I'd never done more than kiss a guy before, and somehow, I knew that he knew. Draco leaned forward and kissed my brow, and I knew in that instant that if I stopped, he wouldn't hold it against me, but I didn't want to stop.

Oh, no, on the contrary, I wanted very much continue. I kissed him with renewed vigor and pushed him back against the arm of the loveseat. He knew what was going to happen, and he chuckled the sexy chuckle that I knew he reserved for me. I undid his pants, and pulled them away from his crotch, not really knowing what to expect. I'd only ever seen a male member in science texts, and I was not sure what I should do. Instead of letting my ignorance show, I did what any other self-respecting soon-to-not-be-a-virgin would do: I shot him a flirty smile, licked the tip of his erection, then swallowed what I could.

Big mistake: I gagged at its size, and I almost threw up because I didn't know what to do. Draco lost it at that point, and he cracked up.

"'Pia, its okay, I know that you've never done this before. Truth be told, I might as well be a virgin myself; I haven't touched a girl in real life since I slept with Pansy back in our third year. Needless to say, she hadn't a clue as to what she was doing either. But, Pia, you don't have to do this," he trailed off, reaching down to fix his pants.

"Draco," I croaked. I looked deep into his eyes. They were greener than I had ever seen them. He gave me the warmest smile I had ever seen. "Draco, please. We've got the room of Requirement all to ourselves; why not use it?"

In response, he leaned back and let me at him. This time, I took him into my mouth slowly, deliberately, savoring his texture and taste. I felt the first moisture and pulled back, but he stopped me.

"Don't do that, 'Pia. Keep going. That just tells you how much I like you," he rasped. I put my head back down, and he started thrusting into my mouth, breathing hard. "I'm not going to last much longer, Pia. Keep doing that and I'm going—"

Suddenly he growled and thrust one last time. He flooded my mouth with his creamy essence. I didn't know what else to do, so I swallowed it and kept sucking until he went limp. My throat was parched, and all I could think of was a tall, cold Diet Coke. When I looked up, a table had appeared with a cooler full of my favorite muggle soda. I popped two open and handed one to Draco.

"You're amazing, 'Pia. I think I l—really like you. You are so beautiful," he whispered that last bit.

"You're just saying that in the afterglow," I smirked at him, and I think I was upset that he said that he liked me. Didn't I warrant more than 'like'? "How am I beautiful? Weasley hair and freckles, and I weigh too much," I complained, leaning into him to enjoy what I knew what be our only time together.

"I think its time we face the music," Draco sighed as he finished his soda. He kissed me on my nose and got off the loveseat. He fixed his pants and found my shirt and bra for me. He grabbed his own shirt and pulled it over his head. I sat there dumbfounded for a moment, until reality kicked in: he just wanted a fuck-friend. I stood on shaky legs and threw my own clothes on. We left the Room of Requirement, and as I followed Draco to Professor McGonagall's office, I could feel the tears in my eyes.

_**Be my bad boy be my man  
be my weekend lover  
but don't be my friend  
You can be my Bad boy  
But understand  
That I don't need you in my life again**_

Draco's pov

I almost told Pia that I love her. I know I've fallen for her, hard, but love? Plus, after our morning interlude, I didn't want her to think that I just wanted a fuck-friend. I helped her get ready and we left the Room of Requirement for Professor McGonagall's office to see what would happen about the Zabini incident.

When we reached McGonagall's office, her door was open, and I heard voices coming from it, three voices I knew too well: McGonagall, Snape, and Zabini.

"I don't care what they say; she's mine to do with as I choose. I pushed this match to preserve her honor. Whatever he thinks he saw, it is completely covered by the agreement made by our families. And if you think that you can step in, when the people involved are not even part of your House---" Zabini was speaking when we arrived.

"Don't you even think about threatening me, Mr. Zabini. I am Assistant Headmaster, and as Professor Dumbledore is not here, it is completely within my jurisdiction. I may not have approved of what the Moody impostor did, but I may turn you into a rat for a while if you continue to get on my nerves," Professor McGonagall raised her voice.

"Minerva, I will take care of these three," Professor Snape said. He had seen me out of the corner of his eye, and he motioned for the two of us to enter the room.

"No, Severus, I don't think you will. You are exceedingly lenient with the members of your own House and excruciatingly strict with the members of my own. I want to speak to Miss Black, Mr. Malfoy, and Mr. Zabini myself. You are welcome to stay, of course," McGonagall said in a steely tone. "Mr. Malfoy, care to tell us why you beat Mr. Zabini into unconsciousness?"

I gulped. McGonagall had never liked me, and she had no reason to like Pia, either. "He was harassing 'Pia, and I felt that I needed to step in." I told the truth. It is supposed to set you free, but I don't know…

"Professor, please don't be angry with Dr—Malfoy," Pia broke in. "Blaise Zabini, who has no authority over me, stopped me outside your classroom this morning and harassed me. He wouldn't let me go, and there was no staff around to help me. He's much stronger, and I'm sure that had he not been as threatening in his actions, Malfoy would not have done a thing to help."

I stared goggle-eyed at Pia. She honestly thought I wouldn't lift a hand to help her unless she was in mortal peril. And why won't she call me Draco? She certainly did earlier. I'll never understand girls.

"What exactly are you accusing Zabini of?" Snape hissed at Pia.

"If you were doing your rounds like you're supposed to, you'd've seen him, and protected her!" I shouted at my favorite professor. McGonagall gave me a knowing smile and I about gagged. Am I that transparent?

"Would you like to tell us something?" Snape sneered at me.

"Draco wouldn't have touched Zabini had he not been pawing me and licking my neck!" Pia shouted over all of us.

Pia's pov

"Draco wouldn't have touched Zabini had he not been pawing me and licking my neck!"

I can't believe I said that. I told them what had happened. McGonagall's mouth dropped open. Snape glared first at me, then at Zabini. Zabini raised his hand to slap me. Draco stepped in front of me and Zabini got slugged instead.

"Why would you let him do that? Are you trying to make people believe that you're a rutting sow?" Snape growled at me as he helped Zabini off the floor. Draco was glaring at both Snape and Zabini.

"I wasn't letting him do anything! I couldn't stop him! He's older, stronger—"

Zabini cut me off, "And her fiancée as of this morning." He smiled a vicious little smile at me, and I threw up all over McGonagall's spotless floor. "Had you not disappeared to Merlin knows where after Malfoy attacked me, you'd already know. An owl came in for me last night, and yours is waiting for you, but I thought a morning tryst would be the nicest way to break the news to you."

Draco slugged Zabini again. "You hurt her, and I'll kill you for it, wand or not." Then he turned on his heel and left.

_**Would you be my bad boy be my man  
be my weekend lover  
but don't be my friend   
You can be my Bad boy  
But understand  
That I don't need you again  
No I don't need you again**_

Draco' pov

She's engaged, and she didn't tell me. I almost made love to her. She gave me the best feeling I'd ever had, and she's engaged to that git. God damn the woman. She's no virgin, not being engaged to Zabini. Why didn't she tell me!

GOD DAMN HER!

Well, if that's how it's going to be, might as well enjoy it. I'm not in love with her. It was just hormones. I might as well take care of that next time Pansy offers. She is my fiancée, after all, and while she may not be anything to look at, my imagination is quite good, and at least she's willing and experienced.

I dragged myself to my classes after I stormed out of McGonagall's office. If I went back to my common room, I'd just do things that I shouldn't. Like sleep with anything willing.

I got through my classes and I finally ended up in the Great Hall for dinner. Mistake, that. When I got down there, Pia – Persiopeia, rather – was seated in Zabini's lap, and she looked to be enjoying herself. I walked by and I wasn't going to say anything, but she looked me in the eye, and I lost it.

"You slagging bint! Who the hell do you think you are? You're the miserable get of your mother's dalliance with a muggle-loving Weasley! I hope he beats the hell out of you, and I've already arranged for you to go home and see your loving father this weekend, as congratulations on your engagement. And don't worry, I've filled him in on all of your activities, especially your, shall we say, extra-curriculars?" I sneered as I passed by, but my voice got louder as I passed them, and I know the entire school body heard what I said. I reached my usual seat and lifted Pansy in her entire girth onto my lap and kissed her to within an inch of her life. She reached a chubby hand into the front of my robes and fondled me. I don't know how, but my erection finally responded and she gave a delighted squeal and whispered that I should leave my door unlocked tonight. I kissed her again and she slid down into her usual seat between Crabbe and me. I looked towards Pia, who was still ensnared in Zabini's lap, and I could tell that he had a hand in her robes, trying to slip into her pants. She was trying to wriggle out of his reach, and I began to feel sorry for her.

'Don't feel sorry for her,' I told myself. 'She's just playing hard to get for him.'

I finished my meal and left the common room. I hadn't paid Pansy anymore attention, and as a result, she was busily snogging Crabbe while her hand had found Goyle's crotch. What a whore. And unfortunately, she was my fiancée.

I trudged up to my dorm and sacked out in my bed. I felt sleep take me before I could think about anything else, but as my eyes closed, I felt a tear trickle down my cheek.

_**You once made this promise  
To stay by my side  
But after some time  
You just pushed me aside**_

Pia's pov

What the hell just happened? Does Draco think I wanted to be engaged to Zabini? He and I just had one of the most amazing make-out sessions in the history of making-out. He threatened to kill Zabini if he hurts me, then stormed out of the room.

After Draco left, Snape took Zabini aside for a lecture on proper behavior with one's fiancée on school grounds and McGonagall asked me to stay a minute to speak with her.

Before he left with Snape, though, Zabini had more to say to me. "As soon as you're done, I'll be waiting for you. I'll walk you to your next class, and you'll be dining with me from now on." He walked towards the door and as he passed me he said one more thing, just for my ears: "Your father said I'd have to beat some sense into you. You better catch on quick, because unlike Draco or some of the other boys you've been with, I'm not afraid to break you."

I felt my face go white, and McGonagall raised her eyebrows at me, a silent question. I forced myself to blush, and after he had left, I told McGonagall that he'd just said something naughty. I don't think she believed me, though.

"Miss Black, I knew your uncle quite well. I know that there is no love lost between you and Mr. Potter, but I think that you should make an effort to at least be civil to him and his friends. Zabini is going to be hard on you, and they may be able to help you. I don't know that you'll be able to depend on Mr. Malfoy. He is engaged to Miss Parkinson, and I fear that if you rely on him, she will make your life here nothing short of hell. And I know that you are not of my House, but let me tell you something: I was almost put into Slytherin House. The only reason that I was not is because I trace my line back to the original Gryffindor," she looked at me as I opened my mouth, "And one last thing: don't trust anyone, except Mr. Malfoy."

"You just contradicted yourself, Professor," I said uncertainly. Didn't she just say that I couldn't rely on Malfoy?

"Did I really? Or do you need to read between the lines? Now scoot to class."

I left her office silently, praying to whatever gods there were that Zabini would have forgotten me. I think I used up all my prayers by being with Draco earlier, because Zabini was waiting for me with his eyes blazing.

"What did you tell her? I know spells that will make it look like you've never been healthier, so help me, Persy. You better not spread anything, or I'll send you straight to your father, with a note that you tried to refuse me. Not that you'd succeed," he hissed in my ear, his breath rancid with his breakfast and the potion Madam Pomfrey had given him after Draco had knocked him out.

"I didn't say a thing to her, Zabini," I said in a low voice, fighting back tears. I know I pissed my parents off all the time, but to engage me to the boy that had raped Pansy Parkinson, who had a reputation for beating on his girlfriends, and who knew how to hit where it wouldn't show – I couldn't believe it. Zabini grabbed my arm and marched me towards my charms classroom, where Flitwick had undoubtedly started the lesson already.

"Its Blaise, you slag. And don't think I don't know that you gave it up to Malfoy. Just you wait; I'll get what I want. I'll not be marrying you before I try you out," he shoved me into the classroom, and I stumbled as I entered, ending up on my arse in front of the whole class.

"Miss Black, if you are not going to make an effort to be on time, at least make an effort to not disturb us all when you finally decide to show up," Flitwick hissed at me. He must have already been in a bad mood, because he was one of the professors that was always kind, even to Slytherins. I slinked to a seat in the back, rubbing the arm Zabini had dragged me here by.

I managed to avoid Zabini until the end of my last class of the day. It was after potions, which after all these years, for some reason, Slytherins have with Gryffindors. I got stuck sitting with Hermione Granger, who ignored me. At least it was better than sitting with my House members, who had adamantly taken Pansy's side after hearing about how I 'seduced' Draco while becoming engaged to Zabini, the 'love of Pansy's life'. The worst the mudblood did was refuse to help me when my potion blew up and singed my left eyebrow and half of my right eyebrow off. I couldn't remember the charm to fix the situation, and I ended up having to walk to the front of the class and beg Snape to fix it for me. He showed the first compassion I'd ever seen and did the charm for me, then wrote it out for me, explaining how I could change one or two of the words in case I ever needed it for something else.

After potions, I didn't see Zabini at first. I was trudging out after Hermione; I still wasn't her friend, but she'd apologized for not helping me with the charm. That was a start. I had my head down, and Hermione saw him first. She hissed at me to run the other way, but I didn't catch on until it was too late. He caught me. Hermione tried valiantly to cover for me, but Zabini was having none of it.

"Blaise, I'll bring 'Pia with me after we finish our—" she began, but he cut her off.

"No, Hermione, I don't think so. Persy here needs to eat. As you can tell," he said, pinching my rather fleshy upper arm, "She's wasting away to nothing. Besides, Gryffindors and Slytherins don't hang out, now do they?"

Hermione gave me a look of pity, then dashed to catch up with Potty and the Weasel.

Zabini glared at me, and he didn't let my arm go. He pinched it harder, and I cried out in pain. He slapped me so hard my head snapped back. I shut my mouth, and he spoke.

"Hiding behind Gryffindors, now are we, Persy?"

"Don't call me 'Persy'!" I shouted.

CRACK!

"Every time you disobey me, you'll get another one. I don't know how long it'll take before you pass out, but maybe I'll get the chance to find out later. Now, darling, let me heal you. You really must not be so clumsy. Those cauldrons are absolutely awful to fall into," Zabini cast a rather mediocre healing spell that did nothing for my pain, but made it look like I'd just been crying or laughing too hard. "Now take my arm, and we'll head to dinner. It really is a pity that I'll have to owl your father that you've been consorting with Gryffindors. I may not be there to protect you from him."

I tried to pull my arm from his. Big mistake.

CRACK!

My head was spinning from the pain. I relented and let him lead me down to the Great Hall. When we got there, he tried to pull me onto his lap. I resisted, and got a nasty pinch for my efforts.

"You'll get double later, for every time you disobey while we're in public! You will learn to obey me, you bint!" he hissed at me. I let him guide me onto his lap. I looked around for someone, anyone who would help me. I even tried to find Hermione's bushy mane, hoping that she'd bring her friends and save me.

'Fat chance,' I thought, 'No way they'll help me. Not after this morning and all those times before.'

Finally, I saw Draco enter the Hall. I knew he was mad, because he'd avoided me all day. But no matter what else I thought of, I knew that he was probably my only chance of rescue. I thought he was going to miss me, because his head was down. As he passed me, though, his head came up, and I tried to catch his eye.

That was probably the biggest mistake I'd made all day.

"You slagging bint! Who the hell do you think you are? You're the miserable get of your mother's dalliance with a muggle-loving Weasley! I hope he beats the hell out of you, and I've already arranged for you to go home and see your loving father this weekend, as congratulations on your engagement. And don't worry, I've filled him in on all of your activities, especially your, shall we say, extra-curriculars?" he sneered at me. My jaw dropped open, and I wanted to cry. My arms went out to him of their own volition, and all I got for it was another pinch from Zabini.

"Not now, you whore," he hissed in my ear. I sighed and felt the tears well up in the back of my eyes. I gave up and reached for my plate. Before I could reach it, though, Zabini pushed it towards the middle of the table, and a green hand snaked up to take it. That was how the school house-elves cleared the tables. "Ah, lovely, Persy, but I told you that no matter how big you get, I'll always treasure you."

I was sick to my stomach with how Zabini was treating me. His friends just laughed and laughed at the spectacle. I wanted to cry, but I knew that I'd pay for it later. I gave up on eating and tried to remember how much food I had in the small cooler I was allowed to keep in my room, a special privilege for prefects, who often got called out of meals or missed them entirely.

Zabini forced his hand into my robe, trying to get into my pants. I was too worn out to fight him off at that point. I just let him do whatever, and tried to think about how I'd feel if Draco were the one whose lap I was sitting in, whose body I felt against mine. Zabini finally made it into my pants, but my body recognized him as the intruder he was and refused to dampen for him. He pinched the lips of my poor vagina hard, and the tears came down.

He finally let me up, and I all but raced to the girls' bathroom. I stayed there for an hour, but he was waiting for me. He walked me back to my room, and I managed to keep him out of my room. he screamed at me through the door, but after half an hour, I finally heard the angry retreat of his footsteps.

As I undressed to shower, I though came to me: as I left the Great Hall, I'd heard Pansy tell Draco not to lock his door. I knew that Pansy would be otherwise occupied with Crabbe or Goyle or perhaps even Zabini, so I decided to take a chance.

I showered quickly, threw my hair into what I thought could be considered a sexily messy bun, and threw a bathrobe over my sheerest, sexiest lingerie.

I had to find a way to bring Draco back around to me, to bring him back to his senses.

**_You never thought that a  
Girl could be strong  
Now I'll show you  
How to go on _**

Draco's pov

I was almost fully asleep when I saw a hand snake in my door and hit the light. I figured it was Pansy. I forced my eyes to open all the way, and I waited to see what she had planned. I half sat up on bed, but she didn't turn the light back on. I heard light footsteps come across the room to my bed, and I smelled an intoxicating blend of shampoo, a vanilla body wash, and something that made me feel comforted. My body jerked in response, and I involuntarily uttered one word.

"'Pia?" Shit! Pansy will kill me. She's going to kill me for calling her 'Pia'.

"Shh," she said, and I heard her come closer, felt the bed sag a bit in response to the extra weight. I waited and waited for what seemed an eternity. Never before had I been so aroused by the thought of Pansy. She leaned in to kiss me, and she tasted of vanilla, Diet Coke and…

"'Pia! It is you, 'Pia, isnt' it?" I rasped. I was so angry, but I couldn't stop myself. My arms reached out to her, and my body pleaded for her. I hardened to the point of pain.

I heard a whispered spell, and a soft light infused the two of us. It was Pia. She was wearing nothing but a sheer black bra and the smallest pair of black lace knickers I had ever seen. She looked at me with the most beautiful green eyes I had ever seen. She leaned in and gave me the gentlest kiss I had ever received.

"Draco, I don't know how to say this, but I think I'm in love with you. How can I make it up to you for all the other things that happened today? Can I prove to you that I've never been touched by anyone but you?" she breathed into my mouth as we kissed. "Would you please let me prove it to you?"

I could feel the tears coming down her cheeks as we kissed, and I could feel them mingling with my own. I thumbed them away. "I'm so sorry, 'Pia. Those things I said earlier, I didn't mean a word of it, I—"

"Shh, my love. Now's not the time for talk. The spell I cast on Pansy will only last until morning. I couldn't cast it on Blaise, so if he goes to my room to find me tonight, everything will be for naught," she whispered as I felt her hands trail down towards my waist. "Please let me show you."

"'Pia, you don't have to do this. Just stay here with me tonight, let me sleep next to you and wake up to that wonderful, red hair," I was pleading with her. I didn't want her to think that she had to prove herself.

"Draco, please, I need to do this as much as you need to know this. I've been touched by no one but you. I want to give myself to you, give this once in a lifetime experience to you. I know that come morning, there'll be a price to pay, but please!" She pleaded with me. I couldn't say no to her when she gave me that look. I trailed my hands down her cheeks to her neck, roughly bringing her closer to me. I wrapped my arms around her, savoring the feeling of her body crushing against mine. I slipped her robe down over her shoulders, laying her back against a mound of pillows I conjured up for her.

She whimpered as I slid her panties down. She turned her face into a pillow to muffle the sounds, but I turned her back to face me. I kissed her and I saw that her blush was the full-body type. I knew in that moment that I loved her, and I told her so.

"'Pia, my 'Pia, I love you so much. Tomorrow, I'll owl my parents. They'll contact the Parkinsons, and I'll go with you to talk to your parents. We'll be together, I promise you!" I wanted to fix everything, to start our life together; I was ready to promise her the moon, and I felt that with her by my side, I could pluck it from the sky for her.

She kissed me back fiercely, and soon all the talking had stopped. I cast a sound-muffling spell on the room.

"You can make all the noise you like, my love. You and I are going to have the best, longest night either one of us has ever had," I said, and I started to cast a contraception charm, but she stopped me.

"Don't, Draco. Next time; but this time, I want it to be just you and me, no magic. If we make a child, no one can pull us apart, right?" she questioned me, and her eyes were bright. I nodded, but I knew that before I entered her a second time, I'd have to cast the charm. Without it, we would be putting our entire lives on the line. I smiled and kissed her.

We played with one another, toying until full readiness. When she was wet enough to reduce the friction to pleasure and mild pain that would only heighten our pleasure, I slipped into her. She was so tight, I thought I'd lose it right then. I slid in and out slowly until I met with the slightest barrier that told me what I felt I'd known all my life: she was mine, all mine, and she'd been waiting for me like I had waited for her. I felt guilt wash over me as I thought of losing it to Pansy, but Pia read my mind.

"Don't worry about Pansy. She took advantage of you, and this is the first time you have actually made love," she said as she kissed me. That was all I needed.

I slid into her and broke through the barrier as I kissed her deeply. Her gasp at that first taken was captured for all time in a kiss. I knew I wouldn't last long, but I did my best to hold out until she came. I was rewarded when she groaned and I felt her channel tighten around me. I let myself go, and I came at the same time. I kept pumping until I went limp, then I practically collapsed on her.

"I'm that good, am I?" she laughed, taking in the sweat that was pouring down off my forehead. She kissed me deeply and pushed at me until I was lying on my side, gazing at her as I ran my hands up and down her body.

"You are amazing," I breathed, savoring the smell and taste of love with my Pia.

_**Be my bad boy be my man  
be my weekend lover  
but don't be my friend  
You can be my Bad boy  
But understand  
That I don't need you in my life again**_

Pia's pov

"I guess you're the bad boy I fall in love with, aren't you?" I smiled as I heard Draco's breathing become regular. We had made love many times that night, and I could feel the dawn approaching. I knew that I had to savor the little bit of time we had left before I had to race back to my room.

"Yeah, but you get to keep me. In any case, I'm not going to let anyone get you. You're all mine, now," he said as he half-dozed. I f Zabini had said that, I would have cringed, and I definitely would have thrown up. With Draco, it made me feel safe and secure, protected by his love.

"Oh, my love, what will we do about Zabini and Pansy?" I said as I rose to gather my robe. The bra and panties were utterly destroyed. I chunked them in Draco's wastebasket, hoping the house-elves wouldn't carry tales.

"We'll fix everything. But you have to promise me, that no matter what happens, you'll trust me. We may have to play it cool for a while, but I love you and only you. And perhaps we should figure out who should show up where regarding our sleeping arrangements," he said as he reached towards me, trying to pull me back to bed. I gave him a dirty look. "I don't mean that I want to fuck your brains out all the time. I just want to be near you. And if Zabini hurts you, you tell me. I'll kill him, just say the word, and he's done for." Draco growled that last part.

Relieved, I leaned down and kissed him soundly before I left the room.

"You're my bad boy."

"And you're my bad girl. Now scoot and try to get some rest before you have top get something to eat. I noticed that you didn't get anything into you last night at supper. I left when I saw that; I couldn't keep myself from killing him for it if I had stayed.

**AN: Sorry about this chapter. It was hard for me to write this. I had an abusive boyfriend in the past. I kind of based Zabini on him. If anyone who reads this is in an abusive relationship, or if you know someone who is, please get help or help that person to get help. Not everyone is as lucky as I managed to be.**

**Love to all of you who stuck it out. There are many twists and turns to come, and I'm relatively sure that this will have a happy ending.**

**One last thing, a poll to get your insights: Should Pia and Draco :**

**become friends with the golden trio and Ginny**

**continue to be enemies with the golden trio and Ginny**

**be friends with Hermione and Ginny, but only tolerate Harry and Ron**

**message us and let us know**

**love, Brenna of the separate-sisters**

**ps: the song for this chapter is "Bad Boy" by Cascada, off of the "Every Time We Touch" album**


	7. How Do You Fix Something So Broken?

**Two of a Kind**

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. We do, however, own Persiopeia Black and all other original characters created for this story.**

Chapter 7: How Do You Fix Something So Broken?

Pia's pov

I walked back to my room on cloud nine. I was in love with Draco. He was in love with me. I had given him everything. All of me. I was exhausted, though, and I had to hurry back so I could at least get a small nap in.

Because of my good mood, however, I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings as I should have. Zabini was waiting for me outside my room when I arrived. He saw me before I could turn and run the other way.

"Where have you been, my beloved?" he snarled through gritted teeth. He stood and I knew what was coming. He reached for me and I dodged him in a maneuver I would never have tried before. Draco had given me some confidence, obviously. I reached my door handle and started to turn it.

CRACK!

Zabini struck the back of my head and everything went dark.

Draco's pov

After Pia left, there was no way I could sleep. I snuggled into the pillow her head had rested on and breathed deep, savoring the smell of her, me and us all mixed together. I half-dozed, daydreaming of her and a life with her.

I have honestly never felt like this before, nor have I ever wanted to. I'm in love, and she loves me back.

All we have to do is juggle the betrothals. I get Pia, and Pansy gets Zabini.

No problem, right?

At about six I rolled out of bed to get dressed and showered. I finished up quickly, enjoying the relaxing feeling of being exhausted in a good way and the heat of the water. I dressed carefully, wanting to look my best. I conjured up a bunch of white roses and headed for Pia's room.

The door was unlocked when I arrived. I stood outside and called in to her.

"'Pia? 'sme. Are you ready to go to breakfast? I'll handle Zabini, so let's get going," I called, but she didn't answer. I tried the door, and it swung open at a slight touch. My stomach dropped to the floor and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead.

"'Pia," I said as I cautiously entered the room. The signs of a struggle were obvious. I scanned the room and found a hastily scribbled note.

'Draco, love,' it said, 'I've had to go home for a bit. No need to follow me. I'll straighten it all out. Persy'

"That's not her note," I said to myself. I heard footsteps enter the room, and I looked up, wand out. "Pansy. What are you doing in 'Pia's room?" I accused.

"What are you doing in her room seems to be the better question. It looks like she's gone home. Better not disturb her. Besides, you haven't even visited my bed since the beginning of our engagement," Pansy pouted. "It seems that you have done more than just talk with Persiopeia however. I wouldn't do that again, if I were you. I get jealous, but Zabini gets homicidal. Wouldn't want him to decide that you seduced Persy. Or that she seduced you, for that matter."

"What do you mean, Pansy? Where is Pia?" I started to raise my voice.

"I haven't the foggiest. Didn't the note say she was going home? To see her father perhaps?"

I thought my heart was going to stop. I raced out of the room and out of Slytherin House to find Professor Snape. If Zabini had gotten Floo powder, he'd have to go to a professor, and I figured he'd go to Snape first. I reached the potions master's office just as he was locking up to go to breakfast.

"Professor, did Blaise Zabini request any Floo powder from you recently?" I gasped, trying to catch my breath.

"No, Malfoy, why?" Snape asked in irritation.

"'Pia's missing, and I think that he stole her."

"She is his fiancée. I hardly think that any rendezvous is paramount to stealing… Unless there is something you have neglected to tell me, Malfoy?" Snape asked, his eyes oddly alight. I figured that he had to be hungry. I knew that he had the information I needed, but I had to figure out how to get it out of him.

"A note was left in 'Pia's room, and I know she didn't write it!" I was losing my patience fast, and soon I would be beyond 'righteous indignation'. Snape and this situation had sent me spinning into a whole new dimension of pissed-off to which I'd never been before (AN: anybody else really like Ron White?)

"What were you doing in Ms. Black's room, Malfoy?"

"The same thing you try to do with my mother every time you visit! Now, how do I find those two!"

Snape was peeved, to say the least. He gave me a nasty look, and I figured I had finally gone too far. His eyes clouded for a moment, and when they cleared, he reached his hand out to me. "Let me see the note. How did you—Oh. Ms. Black would never sign anything 'Persy'. I see why you are upset. Unfortunately, I did not give Zabini any Floo Powder. I highly doubt that any teacher would have…"

"But?" I supplied, trying to figure out where his line of reasoning would have led him.

"Peeves. He hated Sirius. He hates Persiopeia. He loves the Zabini line, and he could easily obtain the Floo powder from any cabinet. He also knows more about the school grounds than most of the other ghosts. I think that it is time to summon the Bloody Baron, and try to get some answers from him," Snape suggested.

I sat. Not on a chair, I didn't gingerly lower myself to the ground. I just sat. I'd gotten taller the last four years, and all 5'10" of me hit the ground, landing on my ass. I stared at Snape. "Do you think that Peeves would tell him, and that he in turn would pass the information on to us, especially me? He always preferred Zabini to me."

"Honestly? No, Draco. The note mentions her family home. I think that you should head for Black Manor. I will speak with the Headmaster, and get you covered. Now go."

"Professor, why are you helping me? You've always treated me well, but why this—"

"I don't need to explain myself to you, Malfoy! Now get out before I owl Titus and let him know what's happened! Has it even occurred to you that if Zabini didn't drag her home, he could blame you for her disappearance? He'll contact your parents, the Parkinsons—what were you two thinking!" Snape cried out, and I thought that he was going to lose it and curse me, or worse, cry.

I wasn't about to stay and find out, so I left for my room. I grabbed what I could out of my in-room cooler and shoved it into an Expando-Bag I had confiscated from a Gryffindor second year. The Weasley twins did come up with some useful things, I have to credit that. I grabbed my broom and kicked off out of my window.

Pia's pov

I woke up feeling groggy. Had I overslept? 'Oh shit,' I thought, if Pansy comes in to wake Draco, we'll be found out.' I opened my eyes to look around, and I realized that my thoughts were just wishful thinking.

I had been on my way back to my own room, about to get off scot-free; but I had been careless, and Zabini had caught me.

I'd been kidnapped!

The bloody bastard. He kidnapped me. I'm sitting in a dark room, like something out of a muggle horror movie. I could see light under the door and just barely through a dirty, grimy window. I strained to hear something, anything that would give me an idea about where I was. Footsteps told me that Zabini had not just left me to rot. He was coming back.

"Ah, Persy, I see you've come around. So nice of you to join us," Zabini said in a sickly sweet voice.

"Us? Who's 'us', you prick? I only see you," I taunted. I figured if he was going to kill me or beat me, might as well earn it, right?

He snapped the light on, instead of using his wand. I was blinded at first, but when I opened my eyes I could see through the tears that he was not alone. Pansy Parkinson was busy with her hands down his pants while Crabbe and Goyle leered first at her, then at me. I was utterly alone, and I began to fear what exactly was going to happen to me.

"You see, Persy, I tire easily, when it comes to mouthy little bitches like you. I have to break you, and soon, before I kill you by accident. All the times I hit you, called you names… All of that was in an effort to spare you what unfortunately has to happen now, and to spare your life. I know of no other way to break you, now, so I enlisted the help of some of our closest friends to make it easier for you," he spat the words at me, then groaned as Pansy replaced her hands with her mouth. I stared at the sight in front of me.

"You're joking, right?" I laughed. These four were the most bumbling, pathetic would-be kidnappers I could think of. And he thinks that rape will break me? I'll bite his ears off, if I have to.

Zabini came, and he pushed Pansy away afterward. Crabbe and Goyle grabbed her and they left the room I was stuck in. Zabini zipped his pants up and walked over to sit next to me. He had cum on his hand, and he reached up to stroke my face. I thought I'd vomit. I gagged, and he shoved his nasty fingers into my mouth, then hit my throat. I swallowed the vile gunk and then I did vomit.

"Oh, did you want more, Persy?" CRACK! He hit me again, then he was on me, pulling my flimsy robe off. I hadn't made it back to my room to get clothes or even underclothes on, so he had no other barrier to get through. I tried to clamp my legs together to trap his hands away from me.

CRACK!

I got it again, and he also hit my back, causing me to arch and my legs to splay. He grabbed my thighs and forced them apart, and shoved his face between my legs. I screamed, but he just lifted his face and laughed.

"No one who would help you can hear you, Persy. Not here, not when they expect strange, loud noises to come from here," he laughed maliciously as he dove back, licking and biting.

"No one would expect… We're near a town? Where are we!" I screeched, still trying to get him away from my nether region, praying to someone, anyone that Draco would save me. I looked more closely at the window, which was easier to see out of with the light on in the room. I recognized the trees outside, but I couldn't place them. "The Shrieking Shack! That's where we are! Get off of me, and I won't tell, but if you rape me, Draco will kill you, for sure," I pleaded with Blaise. To tell the truth, I didn't know how Draco would react, if he'd kill Zabini, or just ignore me. I was afraid, and Zabini took advantage of my preoccupation.

I shuddered as his finger entered me. Almost as soon as that finger invaded, I felt a sharp crack to the back of my head.

"You fucking whore! You gave it up to him, and you were engaged to me! No wonder your father was so eager to get you married off. You're more trouble than you're worth. Perhaps after I've had my fun, I will still kill you. I guess it doesn't matter what I do now. Draco's had his fun, now I'll have mine," Zabini reared back and tore his own pants off.

He leaned all of his weight on me and pushed me into the ground on my back. He pried my legs apart, and I turned my head as he moved to rape me.

Draco's pov

I don't know where I thought I was going to go. After I kicked out of my window, I turned to head to Black Manor. I was almost out of the school grounds when I saw Potter and his group of friends. I was flying low, and I saw that he had a piece of paper in his hands, and he was tapping it with his wand. I landed softly a few feet behind the group and I heard him mutter something.

"Mischief managed," Potter said, and he moved to put the paper away. He slipped his arm around the Weasley girl, and the Weasel King slipped his around Hermione. I was utterly jealous, seeing them with their girls while mine was missing. They weren't even supposed to be where they were, not at that time of the morning. That was enough for me.

I stepped out from my hiding place. "Potter, whatever that map was, give it over now. I'm in no mood today, and I don't care that your precious Gryffindor prefects have let you get away with whatever you're doing. Give that paper to me, and get back inside," I was in full voice, and I couldn't control the rage seeping through my voice.

Potter smirked at Weasley, then slipped his hand into his pocket and grabbed the paper I sought. I knew that he thought he had outfoxed me, but he didn't know that I had heard him mutter a spell.

"Out with it, Potter. how do I make this work?"

"I have no idea what you mean, Malfoy. If you think that there is a secret, why don't you try it," Potter smiled innocently, wrapping himself tighter around Ginny.

I tapped the paper with my wand and repeated what I'd heard Potter say. The paper showed me a few lines that insulted my House, my family name, and said something about sleeping with snakes.

"'Pia is not a snake!" I yelled. I overreacted to the paper's jibes, and the four were all taken aback, obviously. Hermione looked me in the eye and spoke first.

"I figured as much. To work this map, say : I solemnly swear I am up to no good. It is a map of the grounds and surrounds," she said, giving me a sympathetic smile Ron glared at her, Harry groaned, and Ginny gave me a dirty look.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good," I said, tapping the paper. Suddenly, a map of the school appeared. All the professors were marked with a dot and their names, as were the prefects, head boy and girls, and most people a student would be worried about running into. I looked up at Hermione. "How would this be usef—Is that the Shrieking Shack just outside Hogsmeade!" I was astonished by the depth of the map. I looked more closely at the map, and I saw five dots in the Shrieking Shack: Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy… of course, they were sneaking off for a bit of fun. I pulled the map to about a centimeter from my eyes and read the last two names: Zabini and "'Pia! He's got her at the Shrieking Shack!"

"What do you mean?" Ron finally spoke, his eyes brightening as he caught on. "Who has Persiopeia?"

"Zabini. He kidnapped her. How do I get there without being detected before Snape covers for me?" I said the last more to myself than to them. I saw that the map had heard me: it was starting to reveal what looked like a den of tunnels that led in and out of the school. I pointed to one and started looking for the entrance.

Ginny interrupted my search. "No that one, Draco. It is a dead end, put there by the Marauders to mess with people who would try to use the map for bad reasons. Stay away from the one near the Whomping Willow, too. Even if you could get in, the spiders like to hang out there, and it is really long, and out of the way."

"Well, how else am I to get to 'Pia? McGonagall may already be looking for me, Snape is acting awfully strange, and now I've been delayed by you lot when I could have been figuring out how to save her!" I cried. I was desperate, and they were the only ones who could help me. However, they were wasting precious time discussing instead of acting.

"We know the way. We'll take you there ourselves," Ron said quietly. I just looked at him. We all did, actually. None of us expected it. Hermione looked from him to me and back again.

"Oh, Ron," she whispered, and she clung close to him.

"Why the hell are you helping me?" I yelled. I was furious at the time we were all wasting, and to top it off, Hermione was snuggling into Ron, and my own love was kidnapped and was probably being tortured at that moment.

Ginny spoke first, "We just want to help you help Persiopeia. You love her, and you've changed, obviously, since we've known you and since she's 'gotten to you'. Besides, we can help, and it looks like you need it."

She's right, and I know it. I nodded and she led me to a large rock by the school fence. The other three followed. I was scowling. I hadn't gotten the best look at the map, but I knew that I hadn't seen the tunnel she was leading me to. When we arrived at the rock, she motioned to Harry to come closer. He sighed and did as she beckoned.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Harry is the only one this particular passage works for; when the Marauders mapped these tunnels, each one had a tunnel only he could open. When Prongs, James Potter, that is, died, his spell was passed to Sirius for safe-keeping, until Harry came of age. The other three members of the Marauders have their own spells; Wormtail's has been passed on and changed for Ron, Hermione and me, and Padfoot's is held for Persiopeia. I'm sure that Moony would let you use his if you ever have need of it," Ginny said as Harry incanted in a low voice, opening the passage.

"Who are the other three Marauders? Where do the other passages go?" I was curious as we entered the passage, and I needed something to get my mind off of what I might have to do when we finally found Pia and Zabini and the rest of them.

"My father's Prongs, as Ginny has already spilt the beans. Moony is Lupin, Sirius is Padfoot, and Peter Pettigrew was Wormtail. Not much else to say about that. Let's go, before anything else happens, or before Hermione starts spilling her guts, too," Harry said as he led us down the dark passage. Using our wands, we each lit our own way. It took us at least a half an hour to reach our destination.

Pia's pov

I shut my eyes tight and waited for the pain and the hurt to come. When it didn't, I looked up and found Zabini feverishly handling his limp member. My sense of humor kicked in, and I started to giggle at his predicament.

CRACK!

"What the hell was that for?" I screamed. "It's not my bloody fault you can't get it up and keep it up. No wonder you were able to get people to believe that Draco got Pansy pregnant."

CRACK!

"I don't give a damn! I'll get you one way or another. Crabbe and Goyle are out there, and if I can't do it myself, I'll turn you over to them and watch while Pansy—" he stopped short.

"Oh, so it works for Pansy and not for me, is that it? Sorry, but I'm not offended. Why don't you go find her and free me, and I won't mention this to anyone," I suggested, and I was starting to get an idea of the reason behind his impotence. "But you can always get it up for Pansy? And keep it up and finish the deed?" I smirked. She had duped him but good.

"You bloody bitch! It's all your fault! Crabbe, Goyle! Get in here! We'll all have some fun with her!" Zabini called out, as he cast a spell on his limp equipment in an effort to be able to use it.

CRACK!

"For good measure, to ensure your good behavior," Zabini snarled. He gave me an evil smile as we heard multiple sets of footsteps outside the door.

I swallowed and knew my luck had run out. Zabini doused the lights till one remained, then removed the locking charm on the door. I peered at it as it started to move, then turned my head.

Draco's pov

We ignored the sounds of Pansy screwing Crabbe and Goyle and headed down the hall to the room that, according to the map, Pia was being held in by Zabini. I raced down the hall, and I heard a charm being removed. I kicked the door in and reached out to grab Zabini.

"'Pia! Are you alright?" I yelled to her as I advanced on Zabini, whose flaccid penis was hanging out of his pants. I thought he'd already touched her, and I leaped on him, pummeling him with my fists.

Pansy and the other two must have finally noticed what was going on, because they rushed the room. Ron and Harry squared off against Crabbe and Goyle, and Ginny shot Pansy with a stronger-than-usual bat-bogey that sent her flying to the ground. Hermione was busy helping Pia get untied and putting a cloak around her shoulders. After finishing with Pansy, Ginny joined Hermione and the two set to talking to Pia and healing her superficial wounds.

Ron and Harry were dueling with Crabbe and Goyle, but once again I found myself physically beating the hell out of Zabini. It was just so much more satisfying, considering what he did to my Pia. Harry and Ron fixed the other two boys and pulled me off Zabini, who at that point was bleeding and unconscious. I got off of him and walked over to Pia, and I know my eyes were fierce. She pulled away from me, towards the shelter of Hermione and Ginny's arms.

"'Pia!" I croaked. I wanted to hold her, and when she pulled away I fell to my knees. I put my head in her lap, and I felt her arms encircle me. I cried as she cried; when I stopped, I stood up and regarded Potter and his group. "You may leave us," I said in my coldest, most authoritative voice. Pia flinched.

Ron looked to Harry, then to Hermione, "Come on, let's leave them be. We need to bind this lot, and it would be better if we dragged them into the main room to do that." Hermione and Ginny stood, disentangling Pia from their arms, and each girl kissed her on the cheek. Those four left the room, and then there were two.

Pia's pov

The look in Draco's eyes frightened me. He was scared, and scary, and yet I knew that he still desired me. Even though Zabini had not succeeded, it still made me uneasy. Then the girls and Ron and Harry left, and we were alone.

"Draco," I began.

"'Pia, my 'Pia, I'll never let you out of my sight again, if that will keep you safe. I'll be with you everywhere, just don't leave me, don't keep yourself from me. We'll fix everything, I promise it, and this time, we won't fuck up. Let's get you back to the school, and get you checked out. Then, we can deal with Zabini and that lot," he said, kneeling down in front of me.

I held my breath, waiting fro him to say those last few words, the ones I wanted to hear from him and him alone. "I love you, Draco."

"And you know that I love you more than anything else in this world, my 'Pia. I think that we need to deal with the situation at hand. Leave the rest of the tough stuff for later."

I could feel my face crumble. He knew what I was getting at, and he just shut me down. I recovered quickly and tried to rise. My legs wouldn't work, however, and Draco smiled at me.

"I don't care what your father or Zabini says, you are the most beautiful creature, and your curves are most delectable," he said as he leaned down and scooped me up as if I didn't weigh a thing. I snuggled close, and I could feel his body react. I stiffened. "Don't worry, my love. You don't have to do anything about that. I want you to rest."

He kissed my cheek, and he must have completely missed the fact that I was trying to kiss him. He carried me out of the room and to where the rest of the group was.

"We'll stay here with these four. Ginny's going with you to get McGonagall and Dumbledore and all them. Get 'Pia to Madam Pomfrey as soon as you get her back there. Ginny'll take you through Pettigrew's passage," Harry said as Ron and Hermione were checking on the charms cast on my would-be rapist and kidnappers. I snuggled deeper into Draco's neck and heard Ginny whisper.

Then everything faded to my dreams.

'Pia's dream

Draco was carrying me to our bed. It was a huge bed, and fluffy. When we reached the bed, he dropped me down in the middle of it. He crawled in next to me, and I nestled into him. I looked to my side of the bed, and a little girl with my eyes, but with hair the color of Draco's but curly like mine leaped on the bed.

'Mummy!' she cried, happy to see me. I instinctively opened my arms to cuddle her.

'Nofe-air! Nofe-air!' a little boy ran into the room and jumped up on the bed, hands on hips, standing up and glaring at the girl in my arms. His hair was straight like Draco's, but the same red as my own. 'My mummy, too!'

'Mine! Daddy found her and brought her back just for me!'

I started to cuddle my dream children. Draco's arms encircled all of us; I leaned in to kiss him.

And I woke up.

Draco's pov

Pia was absolutely beautiful when she slept. She breathed softly as I carried her back through the passage, following Ginny's bright red hair. Her wand was held aloft, and the light spilling from it lit both her hair and Pia's.

"Ginny, you are quite pretty. I'm surprised Harry hasn't said as much. It reminds me so much of 'Pia's. You should curl it like hers, though. You would end up with much more attention than you ever did before," I said, trying to get her to talk to me. Pia was asleep, and I needed someone to talk to.

"Trying to butter me up, are you?" Ginny said without turning to face me. I didn't expect her to like me immediately, but I was shocked by the change in her manner. She had been helpful and kind earlier, but now she was nothing of the sort. She sped up and was hard to keep up with.

"Gin, please slow down! I'm carrying 'Pia and I don't want to get lost here! Please, wait up!" I cried. Pia started to shift in my arms, and she moaned something about a Sioned or Sionell, or some name like that. Ginny stopped abruptly and turned to face me.

"Look, I helped you to help 'Pia. I hate Zabini, and I hate the rest of you Slytherins for how you look down at my family, just 'cause we're not as rich as you. You are scum, Malfoy. Don't think Ron or I will forget that."

"But, Gin," I started to say.

"And don't call me that. Ron and Harry call me that, and sometimes Hermione. But not you. Not ever you," Ginny said, her eyes flashing. "You have done nothing but make my life and my family's life hell. You've treated Harry and Hermione like dirt. Let's get 'Pia to the infirmary, and part our ways."

She turned and stalked off towards the school. I followed her with Pia in my arms. When we reached the end of the tunnel, Ginny decided to head for the headmaster while I took Pia to Madam Pomfrey.

Madam Pomfrey was treating a Ravenclaw with whiskers growing out of her neck.

"Now dear, remember, just because Professor McGonagall is an animagus doesn't mean you are. Stop trying so hard," Madam Pomfrey said as she flicked her wand and the whiskers disappeared. She heard us approach and she gasped. "Mr. Malfoy! Miss Black! What's happened to her, Draco?"

"Ginny Weasley has gone to get Dumbledore and Snape. McGonagall will be coming down here. Ginny put a sleeping charm on her. Zabini kidnapped he and we rescued her but Pansy did something to Zabini and Hermione and Ginny tried to," the words spilled out, tumbling over one another as I tried to tell her what had happened.

"Hush, Draco. Bring her over here so I can take a look at her. There'll be enough time to explain when Minerva gets here," Pomfrey said, directing me to a bed near her office.

I laid Pia down on the bed as gently as I could. As Pomfrey bustled about, I kissed Pia on her forehead and looked around. I pulled my wand out and checked to make sure that there were no people who could hurt her.

"'You're my Persiopeia. I won't let anyone hurt you, not again. I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you," I said softly. Still, she wouldn't wake up. I pulled a chair up to her bedside and sat heavily, holding her hand and stroking it gently.

Madam Pomfrey came back to Pia with a tray of potions. She set it down on a table she conjured. She pressed on Pia's face, throat and neck, then gave her a foul-smelling, purple, syrupy potion. Pia coughed and gasped, but didn't wake.

Professor McGonagall arrived and came over to speak with us. Madam Pomfrey waved her off and she continued to press on Pia's back and stomach.

"Mr. Malfoy, please come with me," McGonagall said to me as she tried to lead me to Pomfrey's office to speak to me. I glared at her and refused to go too far form Pia.

"I need to be here when she wakes up, Professor. I will step to the side of the next bed, but that's as far as I'll go. What exactly do you want to know from me?"

"What led to Miss Black's disappearance?"

"To her kidnapping?"

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, her kidnapping."

"She was on her way to her room. He grabbed her and took her to the Shrieking Shack. I can't tell you everything that happened there, but when I arrived with Potter, the Weasleys and Granger, Zabini was bent over her, his pants down, and she was—" I choked, "She was… naked. He'd ripped her clothes off, and she was naked, bruised, and it looked like he had—"

"That will be enough Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall said. I trembled visibly, and started to cough. The tears came and I couldn't stop them. She held her arms out, and I just stared at her. I stood there crying, and she threw her arms around me. She was he only person other than Pia who had willingly hugged me and held me close. She walked me back to Pia's bedside. Big mistake.

My tears had quieted, but when I saw Pia lying there, looking so close to death, I lost it. I started crying hysterically.

"He raped her! He raped her! I going to kill him! I'm going to rip his balls off and shove them up his asshole! And Pansy and Crabbe and Goyle too! I going to kill them the long, slow, painful way! How could they do this to me! How could she do this to me!" I shouted. I couldn't help myself.

Apparently, I had succeeded where madam Pomfrey had not. Pia was awake!

I abruptly stopped shouting and threw myself to my knees at her bedside. "'Pia! My 'Pia, you're awake! Thank Merlin, you're awake!"

Pia put her arms around me and smiled. Then she started to cry.


	8. To Fix the Wrongs Done

**Two of a Kind**

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. We do, however, own Persiopeia Black and all other original characters created for this story.**

Chapter 8: To Fix the Wrongs Done.

Pia's pov

"How could she do this to me?" Draco's voice was the first thing I heard when I woke up.

I wanted to scream that I hadn't done anything, that Zabini had failed, that he hadn't raped me. But I couldn't. I just held my arms out to Draco, trying to comfort him, and I think that on some level I knew that he wasn't actually angry with me. But he did blame me. And I blamed myself.

I shouldn't have let Ginny and Hermione help me and comfort me. I shouldn't have let Ginny charm me to sleep. I should have stayed with my wits about me and helped Draco through that crap. But I didn't, and now I've got to help him fix everything.

I didn't know how to fix anything at that point, and the pity of McGonagall and Pomfrey, mixed with Draco's misery pushed me over the edge.

I cried.

Draco's pov

I don't know how to comfort someone who's been raped. I don't even know how to comfort myself properly. When Pia cried, I cried too. Professor McGonagall tried to comfort me, but my dignity told me I had to pull away from that. I unwrapped Pia from around myself and left her in McGonagall and Pomfrey's care.

From the hospital wing I ran to the dungeon Snape called home. It looked empty from the hall where I was standing, but on the off chance that he was getting ingredients from his closet, I entered the room and sat in the front row of desks. I was rewarded for my efforts when I saw Snape back out of the closet and glare at me over an armload of assorted potions' ingredients.

"What are you doing down here, Draco?" Snape asked irritably. He shifted his body to hide the items in his arms, but I took a chance and opened my mouth.

"Apparently, I'm watching you make a veritaserum," I guessed. He saw through the bravado and put the things down on his huge desk as he pulled out a large cauldron and glared at me.

"You shouldn't be here, Draco. I'm doing this for Dumbledore so we can interrogate the students who kidnapped Persiopeia," Snape explained to me. I guessed he wasn't going to kick me out, so I made myself comfortable as he started a fire under his cauldron and began to pour things in, occasionally stopping to chant something.

"She rather likes you, Professor. She doesn't like potion-making, but she says you make it fun for her," I groaned mentally as I imagined what Pia would do to me when she found out I let that tidbit slip. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you referred to her as 'Pia'. Just don't call her Persy. Professor or not, that could get you killed. At least you admit from the outset that it was a kidnapping. McGonagall wouldn't say that, and it infuriated me."

"They may be of my house, but some students should never have been allowed on campus. I feel that I bear some guilt in 'Pia's kidnapping," Snape went on as he stirred quickly in a counter-clockwise motion, then slowly in a clockwise motion. I felt my blood boil as Snape used the nickname for her. I quickly squashed the emotion, because I knew that I would need Snape's help in the coming days. "On top of that, this has caused you pain, and I feel that I must help alleviate that pain."

"So, you're going to administer veritaserum to Zabini, Crabbe, Goyle, and Parkinson?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation away from what I knew would be an uncomfortable subject. "You already know what you'll get, so why bother?"

"We need corroboration of your story and 'Pia's. If we were to ask 'Pia at this point, we could do more harm than good. Besides that, it's better to get a confession from the persons involved," Snape said as he added a last ingredient and gave a whispered incantation. The potion gave off a puff of grey-green smoke and a foul smell. "Done. And done."

"It's ready already?" I asked, confused. It usually took much more time to develop a veritaserum.

"This is a much less potent form of veritaserum. The event happened so recently, and the people involved so, shall we say, unskilled, that we don't need the most potent version of veritaserum. Let me cap this vial," he said as he poured the syrupy potion out of the cauldron and into a large vial. He popped a large cap into the top of the vial and stepped out from behind his desk. "Will you be joining us?"

"No. I think I'll go back to our house and prepare 'Pia's room for her return from the hospital wing," I said, rising from my seat. Snape led me out of his classroom and flicked his wand to douse the torches and lock the door.

"Draco?" Snape said quietly.

I was already partway down the hall, but I turned when I heard the professor. "Yes, sir?"

"I'll make sure that I fix this for you. I don't know what else I can do for you in times to come, but I'll do this one thing for you," and with that, he left.

I stared after the empty space left by Snape. I shook my head to clear it and headed off to Slytherin House. The common room was nearly empty when I got there, and for that I was grateful. A lot of time had passed since I had left to find Pia, so everyone was either in bed or studying at the library. I climbed the stairs to 'Pia's room. I passed my room on the way, and I stepped over to it to grab a few things.

I walked to 'Pia's room and charmed the locks on her door. I had to fix them, as Zabini had broken them in his rages. "_Reparo,_" I whispered, not wanting to alert the other prefects to my presence at her door. I surveyed the damage done to 'Pia's room, and I felt the sudden urge to vomit.

Pictures of her ancestors had been torn down and desecrated. Her dresser drawers and closet had been ripped open and their contents flung around the room. A suspiciously milky fluid covered the undergarments that had been strewn over her bed. I stepped closer and inhaled, and that time, I did vomit as my suspicions were confirmed.

I looked around and decided not to try to clean up the worst of it by hand. I used some of the simpler cleaning spells to get rid of my mess and the worst of what was left by Zabini. At least, I hope it was just Zabini's.

I started to pick up the rest of the mess left behind, but some of 'Pia's clothing, particularly her undergarments, was beyond repair. I conjured new to replace the ones I had to throw out. I was in the middle of hanging up her assorted sets of robes when I knew I was no longer alone in the room.

I turned, wand at the ready, but I was surprised by the sight that greeted me: Dobby the house-elf.

"Oh! Young master Malfoy! Dobby's so sorry, sir, Dobby shouldn't have come, but the nice professor sent me to help you. Said you needed help, he did, and here Dobby is!" the little green being said. He ran around, picking things up and sorting as he went, chattering all the while.

"Dobby, you can let it all be. I'll do it myself," I said tiredly.

Dobby abruptly stopped cleaning and started bashing his head against the footboard of 'Pia's bed. "So sorry sir! Should have asked, Dobby should have!"

"Stop it, Dobby!" I yelled, grabbing him and pulling him away from the bed.

"Dobby just wants to help, after everything mistress Black has been through."

At the poor house-elf's mention of the day's horrors, I sat on 'Pia's bed and let the tears come down. Dobby peered at me from behind the hands he'd thrown up to protect himself. He had been a house-elf for my father, and apparently he thought I'd beat him the way my father had. I waved him off, trying to let him know that I wouldn't hurt him.

Dobby turned to leave, and as he left he spoke. "Mistress Black's a tough girl, and you're a strong man. Dobby knows you'll fix everything, he does."

Pia's pov

I wanted to get out of the hospital wing as soon as possible and get back to my own room and Draco's arms. I've never felt like this before, never wanted to let someone else comfort me, but with Draco, it felt right. Like when he said he'd kill my father if he hurt me again, or when he knocked Zabini out, even though that led to the present predicament.

Professor McGonagall had left much earlier, and I pestered Madam Pomfrey so much she finally let me leave, after she checked me out and saw that indeed, I had not been raped. Before I left, I did tell her about the charm Pansy had cast on Zabini, why he hadn't been able to finish the deed.

"Ms. Black, I do suggest that you hold off on any sort of intimacy, at least for a few days. You may find that while your body reacts well, your mind and heart may not. Take care of yourself, and help Draco through this. He blames himself, I think, and I think that you are the only one who may be able to help him," Madam Pomfrey said to my back as I walked out.

I raced back to my House, not wanting to see anyone until I had seen Draco. The halls were empty, as was the Slytherin common room. I crept silently through the House until I reached my room, across the hall from Draco's. The door and locks looked good as new; I opened the door to my dark room and sighed.

I hadn't bothered with Draco's door, there had been no light coming from under it, and I didn't want to wake him. I walked over to my bookcase and tapped it with my wand. A book fell out, and behind it, I had hidden a box with all my most important things. On top was an old t-shirt of Draco's I had filched last time I was in his room. It still held his scent. I slipped out of my makeshift robes, old ones McGonagall had dug out of one of her own trunks, and into the long green shirt. I left the robes on the floor and climbed into bed.

I was drifting off, thinking of Draco when I rolled over, and into his arms!

"Draco, is that you?" I whispered. His head shot up, and his eyes were wild.

"Oh, 'Pia, I've been waiting for you. I got your room back in order for you, and I must have fallen asleep," Draco said as his cheeks flushed. The t-shirt wasn't really all that big, if you know what I mean. I could see the dried tear tracks on his cheeks, and I slid my arms around him.

"Oh, Draco, I thought you were asleep in your room, and I didn't want to wake you. I'm so glad you're here! Hold me, please, it's been such a long day," I said, settling against him. I realized he was still in full robes, and I started to pull them off of his body when he stopped me.

"'Pia, I don't think that's such a good idea, after what you went through today. Maybe in a few weeks, when you've spoken with Madam Pomfrey or McGonagall," he said, and he tried to stop me.

"It's not my fault, what happened today. It's not your fault, and it's not mine. I didn't do this to you, you know," I was getting angry, the bloody bastard was a coward, too.

"I never said it was your fault! I just don't want to hurt you! I knew that Pansy hated me, and you, but I never thought this would happen. I can't believe she did this to you! I can't believe she did this to me!" Draco roared, and I stiffened in his arms.

"So, you think I was raped, but you don't blame me?" I said quietly.

"Why would I blame you? Zabini and Pansy are the ones at fault," Draco said, and I could see the tears forming in his eyes. "You thought I blamed you?"

I started to laugh. "Of course I thought you blamed me! I only heard the last of what you said when I woke up earlier! And I wasn't raped. Pansy cast a spell on Zabini that makes him impotent with anyone but her, and she has to cast the charm to, umm, 'free up his equipment'!"

Draco crushed me to his chest and I felt his tears hit the top of my head. "Oh, 'Pia, I blamed myself. If I had walked you back to you room, or not enraged Zabini and Pansy, or any other number of things, this all could have been different. I'll never let you go, not ever. We'll go to your parents soon, I promise, and we'll sort everything out. Now snuggle in. I've arranged things with our favorite potions master so we can sleep in tomorrow and miss his class."

I snuggled into Draco's embrace and breathed in his comforting scent. I could feel his arousal, but we didn't do anything about that. We were too tired. I was almost asleep when I heard Draco's voice for the last time that night.

"If you wanted one of my shirts, you could've just asked."

Draco's pov

I woke up with my nose in Pia's glorious red hair. Before, I would have been disgusted at her Weasley-ish look, but in our short time together, I've grown to adore it. I can understand why Potter fell for Ginny Weasley. There's something about the wavy red locks that I can't explain, but I don't feel the need to. I love her, and that makes my chest feel light.

Sunlight was streaming in through Pia's small window. I envied that window; she got sunlight everyday in the morning to help her wake up. I sighed and looked down at the lump in my arms. She was breathing softly, and I knew she was closing to waking. The sun was high enough for me to know that we would be lucky to make it to lunch before our afternoon classes.

I kissed Pia gently to wake her. He eyes opened and focused on my face, her green eyes burning into my own blue eyes. She snuggled in tighter and growled at me for waking her. She growled at me. I kissed her again, harder this time, and she responded with fervor.

I pulled back and smiled down at her. "You need to get up and get dressed. We need to get some lunch before our afternoon of Transfigurations. I wonder who'll cover for McGonagall?"

Pia glared at me and sat up, giving me her back. "I don't want to go to lunch. I just want to sleep in all day and cuddle you. Can't we just stay in here? I'm sure we could get a house-elf to bring us some food."

"If you don't want people to guess what happened, I think a better choice would be to get up and move on, as if nothing happened."

"I can't do that. Besides, the quad already knows, and I figure they've already spread everything around the school."

"I think that you give them a bad turn if you believe that they'd do that to you. We don't get along, but we need them as our allies, at least until we can rebuild ourselves here in Slytherin. Besides that, they are the ones who helped me rescue you."

"I would have been fine. Zabini couldn't, remember?"

"And what about Crabbe and Goyle? And as for Zabini, he would have just ordered PP to undo the charm, on a promise of having her later," I said, growing impatient. My stomach was starting to ache. I hadn't eaten much yesterday, and I needed to eat. So did Pia, so why was she fighting me so much?

Pia's pov

I know Draco thinks I'm being a nut, but I don't really want to face that lot after they helped rescue me. Not after all I've done to them. I know that we'll never be friends, but if I go down to the Great Hall and acknowledge them, I'm taking a step towards the unknown.

"But, Draco, I could make it worth your while to stay here," I said coyly, anything to not have to face the school. I felt as if everyone could see right through me, see everything that happened yesterday. I felt stupid for the whole thing, and I still felt dirty.

"'Pia, as much as I would love to believe that you want me that badly, you're as transparent as Peeves. Get out of this bed, get into some robes, and let's go. I'm hungry, and you need to get something into you. And no arguments or complaints about you being fat. I love those curves, and if they diminish in any way, I will be quite wroth with you," Draco said as he stood and held his hands out to me. "Let me help you up, my dear."

I sighed and took his hands, letting him raise me up. I stepped lightly on the way to my closet. It seemed Draco wasn't going to leave and risk me not coming down, so I got my revenge the only way I know how.

I selected my street clothes for under my robes in a lazy fashion, finally settling on a stretchy black jumper and tight jeans that I probably should have thrown out a few terms ago. I shucked Draco's t-shirt and headed from my closet to my dresser in my panties. I heard Draco hiss in a breath, and I knew that he was in torture. I chuckled as I took my time selecting a bra. I selected a sheer black bra so as not to have it seen through my top.

I turned my back to Draco, but stood in front of the mirror so he could see everything. I slipped the bra up my shoulders, shivering at it's coolness, briefly fingering my own nipples as I arranged the cups. I stepped into my jeans, but not until I had fixed my panties, slipping a finger inside them to feel my undamaged nether region. I heard a groan from Draco as I slipped my jeans up and over my bum. The jeans fit like my own skin, and I could feel his eyes on me.

"As if that's enough to break my resolve. Let's go before I explode, alright?" Draco said tersely, and I gave a laugh that came out infinitely huskier than I thought it would. I pulled my robes on and grabbed my bag before stalking out of the room with Draco close behind. "And I better not catch you wearing those jeans without me there to protect you."

I turned and smiled at Draco. We rounded the corners and strode through the halls of Hogwart's, and we saw the eyes lingering on us, not caring what anyone thought.

We stepped into the Great Hall, which was still full of students and faculty. I gave Dumbledore a huge wink and rounded on Draco, throwing myself on him. We dropped our bags and he lifted me up, letting me rest on his jutting pelvis. I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed him with all my nerve.

When he finally let me down off my rather, ahem, 'bony' perch, I was flushed and I could see the sparkles in his eyes. I smiled at him, then at the headmaster before grabbing Draco's hand and taking a bow. Much to our surprise, Potter and the rest of the quad stood and applauded. The Hufflepuffs followed their lead, while the Ravenclaws sat silently and the Slytherins booed.

I didn't give a damn.


	9. The Interrogation

**Two of a Kind**

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. We do, however, own Persiopeia Black and all other original characters created for this story.**

Chapter 9: The Interrogation

Draco's pov

I was astonished that Pia would leap on me like that, and to top it off, she kissed me like there was no tomorrow. Dumbledore rose with the Gryffindors and the Hufflepuffs. The Ravenclaws were silent, and the Slytherins hissed. Professor Snape smiled at us before a strange look came over his face, and he left the room silently. I looked to see where she and I could sit, and as I led Pia to our typical seats at our own table, the Slytherins already sitting there moved to assure that we would not be able to sit there.

I raised my wand threateningly, but Granger came up behind us.

"Draco, Persiopeia, perhaps you would care to join us at our table? I just know I'll never finish my Potions essay without your insight," Hermione said, trying to give us a dignified out of the situation.

"Yes, thank you, Hermione. Perhaps the Gryffindors are brave enough to see what's right in front of their faces, hmm? Much braver than this lot, I do believe," Pia said, and she took Hermione's arm, latching on my own and dragging me with her to sit with the quad.

"'Pia, perhaps it is not wise to do things our family would take offense to, in regards to our current situation? We've already done so much," I tried to reason with the love of my life, but she was having none of it. Many of the Gryffindors had left the table while Hermione had come to get the two of us, and those that remained gladly made room for the 'guests of Potter' that we were at that point.

We sat next to Hermione and Ron, at the end of the table, and we tried to make pleasant conversation. Hermione filled Pia and me in on what we missed from classes, while Ron informed us what a mistake it would be for us to try to copy Hermione's detailed, legible notes.

"The professors get peeved when people get notes or help from 'Mione. Something about throwing the grades off the curb," Ron said pompously.

"Curve," Hermione corrected immediately.

"Curb, curve, same thing. Just mad," Ron said as he threw an arm around his girl and his sister at the same time. "'s'Why I love you. So smart! Anyways, you better off getting the notes from Ginny, who usually 'translates' them for Harry and me."

"No."

We all turned to look at Ginny.

"Why?" Pia said simply.

"You know why."

Pia's pov

"Look, Ginny, if you don't want to help, fine. Don't. There's already so much bad blood between you four and us two, why not make it worse? It's not like we're asking you to be a decent human being, we know that would be too much. We're not even asking you to be civil. Just for you to help. But if you can't stand the thought of doing something unselfishly," I said, and Draco shot me a look that said, 'Are you nuts!'. I winked at him. He'd see shortly.

"Fine. I'll do it. But it doesn't mean we're friends. We're allies, trying to end Zabini's reign of terror over the girls of this school, but that's it. Got it?" Ginny fumed.

"Thanks, Gin," I smiled.

"You can afford to be gracious when you've already won, can't you?" Harry chuckled as Ginny stormed off, presumably to get the notes for me.

"She's upset because she hates Slytherins and other high-profile families with money, and she wants to help. If she admits to wanting to help, she'll have to accept the fact that while we're not best friends till the end, we are more than allies. We just don't get along," I smiled at Harry, and Draco glared at him for it.

"Come off it, Malfoy. I'm not after your girl. I have a redhead of my own, and one is most times more than enough," Harry laughed out loud, and earned a dirty look from Ron.

"What do you mean by a redhead of your own, Potter?" Ron grated out.

"Oh, don't worry, Ginny knows that I liked you first," Harry teased. Hermione shot him a dirty look. "Ron, there comes a time when a boy sees a girl, and she sees him, and"

"That's enough! I really don't like the idea of Potter and the Weasley princess bedding down together!" Draco shouted, his face turning a sickly shade of green.

"Bedding down together! Harry!" Ron yelled, his face turning bright red. Hermione took Ron's arm and yanked him out of his seat and towards the exit. Harry got up to follow, thought better of it, and headed for the other.

"The quad's gone, and we're still at the Gryffindor table. Tuck in, before the seventh years come in and take offense," Draco said as he piled food onto my plate. I gratefully set to it, and not ten minutes later, we were on to our classes.

Draco's pov

I'll never understand girls, Pia and Ginny in particular. I think that it has something to do with them being redheads, but I'm not quite sure. All I know is that both of them are stubborn, and they would probably make for good friends, if they could stop arguing long enough to see it. Pia and I ate quickly after the quad left, and we headed straight for the Transfigurations classroom, where we expected Professor McGonagall would have left work for us students to do under a proctor in her absence.

When we got to the classroom, the door was open and Filch was inside. We stepped in to see what was going on, and we heard him tell some other Slytherins to leave, and have fourteen inches of parchment by next class on the differences among animagus, were-animals, metamorphagus, and the effects of polyjuice potions. Pia and I were about to turn on our heels and leave, having heard the assignment and not wanting to deal with Filch, but he called out to us as we were almost in the clear.

"Malfoy, Black! Where d'you think yer goin'?" Filch rasped at us. We turned and tried to smile pleasantly.

"We heard the assignment, sir, and we thought we'd head to the library and start on it, instead of making you repeat yourself," Pia said politely, trying not to incite the custodian's wrath.

"Sorry, lass, that'll have to wait. You're to head to Professor McGonagall's office, to sit in on the interrogation. And mark my words, Miss Black, if I have anything to say about it, Zabini will be thrown out on his arse. The name Black is still good, if you ask me," Filch said gruffly. He sat down in the chair by the big desk McGonagall rarely taught from; she preferred to walk around, a more hands-on approach, she'd usually say. We usually said it was the better to swat Slytherins with.

"Thank you, sir. And the name Malfoy?" I said, trying to gain insight on my family's status.

"Not if it's Lucius, my boy. But if it's yours, and you give it to her, then it's fine in my book. Now go, before we all get in trouble," Filch shooed us out, and with a flick of his wand, the door flew shut and locked behind us.

Pia's pov

I blushed furiously at Filch's statements. Sure, I liked Draco, I loved him, but to marry? My family would salivate at the idea; his parents would go through the roof at the idea of another Black marrying in. I smiled at Draco as we headed to Professor McGonagall's office in silence. I stole a quick look at him at we headed from the classroom and wandered in that general direction. I was oddly pleased to see that a faint blush had crept up his cheeks as well.

I really didn't want to go to the interrogation; I didn't want to hear Zabini's twisted version of what had happened to me. When we arrived at McGonagall's door, I stopped in my tracks.

"'Pia, come on. I'm right here with you; you're not doing this alone. We need to make sure that Zabini gets what's coming to him," Draco said kindly, and I gave him a sad smile. "What is it, 'Pia?"

"I love you."

"I know."

"Do you love me? Was Filch right when he said that Malfoy was a good name, if you gave it to me?"

"I love you, Persiopeia Black, and give me a chance to do things right. We have to break your engagement to Zabini and my own to PP, and then I'll get a chance to propose the way you deserve to be proposed to. Alright? But one step at a time," Draco said quietly in an exasperated tone.

I threw myself on Draco and let him hold me for a moment before I pushed the door open to the interrogation.

Draco's pov

I didn't know what had come over Pia. Her face clouded over, and suddenly, she wanted to know if I wanted to marry her. I hadn't really given it as much thought as I should have before I said the things after she woke up, but as soon as she pressed me, the words came out.

"I love you, Persiopeia Black, and give me a chance to do things right. We have to break your engagement to Zabini and my own to PP, and then I'll get a chance to propose the way you deserve to be proposed to. Alright? But one step at a time," I had said quietly, but I was impatient to get inside and mete out justice to Zabini.

Apparently, that was the right thing to say, because Pia threw herself on me and kissed me soundly before we opened the door to the interrogation. I held her close and felt her shiver as we heard voices from deep within McGonagall's set of rooms.

I led Pia into the lit office that was being used for the interrogation. She took a chair, and I took one next to her. Zabini was set in the middle of the room, held in a binding spell by Professor McGonagall herself. A weaker spell held Pansy Parkinson; Crabbe and Goyle were nowhere to be seen, and I figured that they had already been dealt with. Professor Snape held the vials of veritaserum as he eyed Zabini and Parkinson with contempt. At the front of the room, seemingly untouched by the drama unfolding, stood Headmaster Dumbledore, his eyes not twinkling as usual but instead sparking with what could only be called the fire of righteous indignation.

"All are assembled, Headmaster," Snape was the first to speak.

"Then let us begin," Dumbledore said in his powerful voice.

Pia's pov

I sat quietly as the interrogation began. The binding spell was finished off and it held as McGonagall lowered her wand. Snape stepped forward, the veritaserum in his hands; I knew it was veritaserum because Draco had told me what had transpired when he had visited the potions master yesterday. Dumbledore took a seat near the front of the room as Snape advanced on Zabini with the truth potion. Pansy Parkinson shrank back, but Zabini gave me a malicious look and opened his mouth to accept the strangely colored brew.

I held my breath as Zabini chugged the veritaserum. His eyes glazed over, but the evil intent was still visible. Draco put his arm around me and hugged me tighter as Dumbledore began questioning Zabini.

"State your name," Dumbledore began.

"Blaise Zabini."

"House and year."

"Slytherin, 5th year."

"Name of your betrothed."

"Persiopeia Cornelia Black."

"Any enemies you need to tell us about?"

"Draco Malfoy and his clan."

Draco scowled and hissed as he tried to restrain himself. I put my hand on his, which still lay on my shoulder. He settled back into his chair and drew me closer still. Dumbledore looked at him before continuing with the interrogation.

"What was the intent of your kidnapping of Miss Black?"

"To take her for myself and keep her from Draco Malfoy."

"Take her for yourself? Explain."

"I wanted her body, the way she had given herself so willingly to Draco Malfoy. I know she has, and I want that."

"What do you want?"

It was my turn to hiss. This was the opening Zabini had been waiting for. He was going to besmirch my name just for shits and giggles, for his own amusement.

"I want to fuck her. I want to rape her and keep her for myself, the way her father promised I could. She needs to be broken, and Draco can't do the job. He lets her run him, lets her love him and loves her in return. She doesn't deserve that; she is mine to do with as I choose, and if after we marry she doesn't give me an heir soon enough, I'll rid myself of her."

Zabini was coming out of the daze induced by the veritaserum. He was still forced to tell the truth, but now he could do it the way he wants to, the way that will hurt the most. Draco was hanging his head, and I knew he was fuming. It was all he could do not to kill Zabini were he stood.

Snape spoke. "How would you rid yourself of her? Divorce her?"

"Never. She lives as my wife, or not at all. Just ask her father; I don't have to keep her around a day more than I wish to. Besides, her body belongs to me. If I can't have her, no one will!"

Pansy Parkinson's head shot up at Zabini's last statement. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she began to yell.

"He made me make my family betroth me to Draco! I was engaged to Blaise, but he said that if he married her, we could get rid of her, and I could have him! I cast the spell on Zabini so he couldn't hurt her. I'm innocent; Blaise used me, let Crabbe and Goyle use me, to prove that he had the power," Pansy was desperate; she saw what was happening. She and Zabini would be thrown out of Hogwart's and most likely the international wizarding community. She would have to depend on him to take care of her, and she knew that he wouldn't be any kinder to her than he had been to me.

Zabini drowned Pansy out with his recounting of the previous day's events.

"I waited for her. I got impatient, so I went into her room. I saw her things and smelled Draco's scent on everything. I ransacked her room, but I took my time with her panties. They were so delicate, they smelled of her sweetness, but then I smelled his essence on them. I grew angry, but it was just so hot. I pulled out of my own pants and fondled myself, finally releasing on all of her things. It was a right mess, but it passed the time and got rid of his scent."

No wonder Draco had been waiting for me when I got back last night. He must have gone to my room to get something for me and seen the awful mess Zabini described. Obviously, Draco had cleaned up the mess himself as he blamed himself for the whole ordeal; that must have been why he was asleep there when I arrived.

"I heard footsteps near dawn. I knew it was Pia; only she has that delicate footfall usually associated with a sumo wrestler. I stepped outside and waited for her approach. She wasn't paying any attention to her surroundings, making her easy prey, instead of just easy as she usually is," Zabini leered at me. I felt my lunch rise in the back of my throat, but I swallowed it silently. "I hit the back of her head and once she was knocked out, I picked her up and carried her to the Shrieking Shack where Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle were already waiting. Pansy was entertaining them as usual. Anything she says about me forcing her to do that is a lie. Yes, I got her drunk and took advantage of her, but everything else she's done on her own or more than willingly."

"That's not true! You're twisting everything! I would never do anything unless I thought it would make you love me!" Pansy cried.

Dumbledore gave Snape a look, and the potions master shot towards Pansy and dumped the contents of the other vial down her throat.

"State your name," Dumbledore said to Pansy, shifting the interrogation.

"Pansy Parkinson." Her eyes were glazed now too.

"House and year."

"Slytherin, 5th year."

"Has Blaise Zabini ever forced you to engage in sexual encounters with any other male?"

"No. Not since he raped me back at the beginning of my first year at Hogwart's. I am older than my peers, and I had been celebrating my early birthday at the Leaky Cauldron when he spiked my drink and led me upstairs; he took me and ever since, I have been in love with him. He has never forced me to have sex with anyone else. I do it because I think he'll love me better for it," Pansy said without emotion.

"My last question for you, Pansy. Who is the father of your child?"

"Blaise Zabini."


	10. After All is Said and Done

**Two of a Kind**

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. We do, however, own Persiopeia Black and all other original characters created for this story.**

Chapter 10: After All is Said and Done

Draco's pov

"There! She admitted it! The slag admitted it!" Pia blurted, having lost control over her mouth in her glee. "Under veritaserum, she's admitted to being pregnant with someone else's child. Therefore, the premises upon which her engagement to Draco Malfoy was made are completely null and void!" she turned to me and smiled as she threw her arms around me. "You don't have to marry her! You're free to choose whomever you want to marry, without the pressure of impending fatherhood to worry about."

I smiled sickly. "Yes, as of three full-blown wizards hearing the truth, I am released from my betrothal. But do you forget that the wizarding world still has somewhat archaic views in regards to women?"

Pia looked me to the headmaster, who shook his head wearily. Pansy was crying, and Professor McGonagall looked as if she was going to try to comfort us; Professor Snape had sensed the curses that were about to spew forth from Zabini's mouth and had wisely silenced him.

Dumbledore spoke. "Miss Black, Pia, if I may, what Draco is implying is that while wizarding law at this time protects men from unfounded accusations of paternity, it does not protect women from the scum that some are unfortunately subjected to in a betrothal or marriage. Draco is hereby declared free from his betrothal to Pansy Parkinson, but I can not do anything about your situation, Pia."

Pia stood and left quietly.

"'Pia, come back! We'll do this together! We'll fix this, I promise. Just don't try to do this yourself," I wept as Pia left and I felt dread come over my heart. I knew what she was going to do; I knew where she was going. I had to follow her close behind, but far enough back for her not to find me before it was time.

Pia's pov

I heard Draco and the professors calling to me to come back, to think before I did anything foolish. I had to ignore them, and I had to do something about my predicament. I had to go back where this had all started, where I had first contemplated someone who had lived a life not unlike mine, where I had first really noticed Draco Malfoy and what could be.

I had to go home.


	11. Never Again

**Two of a Kind**

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. We do, however, own Persiopeia Black and all other original characters created for this story.**

Btw: Pia was kidnapped on a Tuesday morning. Most of the events spanned Tuesday through Wednesday. The interrogation was Thursday afternoon; this chapter takes place Thursday night into Friday, if not longer. I'll try to clarify days at the beginning of each chapter from now on, alright?

Brenna, of the separate-sisters

Chapter 11: Never Again

**_Never Again,_ Nickleback**

_**He's drunk again**_

_**It's time to fight**_

_**She must have done something wrong tonight**_

Pia's pov

I walked sedately back to my common room. It was empty when I got there. Time had passed during the interrogation, and I felt oddly light as I contemplated what would happen when I arrived back at my family home. It was suppertime, so I should have expected that no one would be there, but somehow I was unnerved by the silence that greeted me as I gave my password and stepped through the portrait hole.

I lit the main fireplace before stepping through the portrait hole that would take me to the prefects' dorms. The fire would have to be well built up for me to travel the Floo to get back to my home. As I walked down the hall to my room, I saw faint light under some of the doors, undoubtedly these students were studying, or perhaps writing love notes to their own intended. Draco's door had no light coming from under it, and I knew that he was probably still with the professors and Zabini and Pansy, 'meting out justice'.

I flicked my door opened with a swish of my wand. I didn't bother packing anything. Somehow, I knew that this trip home would be very short, one way or another. The only thing I grabbed from my room was my bag of Floo Powder from the hidden drawer of my desk.

My Floo Powder in hand, I headed directly back to the fireplace in the common room. I stopped in front of Draco's door, but still I heard no activity from the inside. He must have gone to supper or be waiting for me to come to him, I reckoned. I moved stealthily, however, because if he had been waiting for me, I didn't want to alert him to what I was doing.

Finally, I arrived back at the fireplace. The fire was bright and high, perfect for the Floo Network. I looked around one last time, prayed to Merlin, took a deep breath and threw some powder into the fire.

"Black Manor!"

_**The living room becomes a boxing ring**_

_**It's time to run hen you see him**_

_**Clenching his hands**_

_**She's just a woman**_

_**Never again**_

It was dark when I arrived at Black Manor. The house-elves were nowhere to be seen, and the fires were all burning low. A quick look around told me that my parents still had me relegated to the oldest, dankest fireplace in the manor. I held my breath for a moment, trying to figure out where my parents were.

I stepped out of the fireplace into the old parlor. All the furnishings had been taken out of the room since I had last been home. The room looked old and worn, as if no life had ever graced it. I sniffed as a strange odor assailed my nostrils. It wasn't food, but it wasn't fire as I was used to it, either. I hurried out of the room and around the corner to the room where my parents often entertained and received guests, where we as a family had last visited with the Malfoys, when this horrid thing had begun.

I raced to the room, not believing my ears. I picked up a faint sound, like whimpering or crying, but it sounded like my mother, and she never once in my lifetime cried, not even when she had miscarried what would have been my father's heir. She had always been quick to shout, to scream, to beat me or hand me over to my father, but never had I ever heard her cry. But there she was, crumpled on the floor, her expensive gown ripped shoulder to hip, her torso bloodied from my father's amusements.

"What have you done, you monster?" I said quietly, alerting both of them to my presence. It was a mistake that I knew I would regret.

"Ah, my darling daughter, so glad you could join us for this momentous event. We were just about to celebrate the conception of our grandchild. It wasn't our first choice when dear Blaise suggested it, but sometimes things happen out of sequence," my father said blandly. My mother turned red-rimmed eyes to my own.

"You should have just agreed to what we decided. Thanks to you, I've paid your way in your father's anger!" my mother screeched at me, rising from her crumpled position, her arms and hands outstretched. I tried to catch, but realized at the last moment that she meant to hurt me. I pushed at her as we collided, but her nails raked down my throat and right breast. The blood gushed.

"You knew what he planned, and you let him go through with it? What if he had succeeded? He was going to rape me, and let his friends have their own fun as well!" I screamed, trying to hold my clawing mother at bay. Finally, I gave up and cast a binding spell on her. She was strong, though, and I knew it wouldn't last too long.

(AN: just long enough for a good plot…)

"What do you mean 'what he planned', my dear child? Do you honestly think that Blaise Zabini could have come up with that on his own? It was my plan from the beginning; if you had impressed the Malfoys, you would have had nothing to worry about," my father said cavalierly. I looked at him, saw into his eyes, and I saw madness there.

_**I hear her scream**_

_**From down the hall**_

_**Amazing she can even talk at all**_

_**She cries to me**_

_**'Go back to bed'**_

_**I'm terrified that she'll end up**_

_**Dead at his hands **_

_**She's just a woman**_

Draco's pov

I had followed Pia, listened to her mutter to herself. I reported to Snape, and he and I left the school grounds via Professor Lupin's, or rather, 'Moony's' passage. Luckily, Harry had given me the password. Ginny had refused to talk to him after that, and from what I know, she's sticking to that resolution. Once we were outside the school grounds, Snape threw an arm around my shoulder and Side-Along Apparated the two of us to Black Manor.

"No talking once we're inside, Malfoy. They'll hear us, and from what you've told me, that could be mortally dangerous for 'Pia," Snape whispered as we headed for a window, searching for a way to get inside without making any noise.

"Right, Professor," I said, but I stopped him. "Why are you helping us like this?"

"I don't have to tell you a thing, Draco."

"But you will anyway, while we try to get in, won't you?"

"I was in love once, and I was going to marry her. She loved me very much, and she was with my child."

"Why didn't you marry her? Not good enough for you, or were you not good enough for her?" I smirked. This would be just the thing to get me ready for a verbal spat with Titus Black.

"We were going to use our child to force our families to let us marry. Her family was trying to gain a match with a prestigious, old-blooded family, one with wealth and history reaching back much farther than my own," Snape grated out, searching for an entrance and an end to our conversation.

"Not many families like that left," I boasted. "There's my own and maybe ten to fifteen others in the Isles."

"I am well aware of that, Draco, or perhaps you'd like to finish the story for me?"

I shook my head, and he continued.

"The families were on the verge of making the match, but the boy she was to be matched with grew jealous and violent. He took her, raped her, and in the end, she miscarried the child, which was what he, his family, and her family was waiting for. Without the child, she and I could not force the match, and she married into that family," Snape coughed, and I knew he was hiding his face for a reason.

"What was her name? Maybe she's widowed, and you could find her again," I tried to comfort the potions master.

"There's our entrance. In you go," Snape said gruffly. I hoisted my body up and into the window. When I landed on the other side, Snape followed. "I'm just your backup. I'm here to corroborate your story, and in case something happens that you can't take care of, but this is your chance to save the day and get your girl."

Once we were both inside and recovered, I looked around. I knew where we were; we were in the old room, near the main sitting room.

I motioned to Snape. "This way. They like one room in particular, and I know the way. Hurry!"

We rounded the corner and stopped as we heard voices coming from the large, dimly lit room. I heard Pia, and her mother, but finally, her father spoke.

"What do you mean 'what he planned', my dear child? Do you honestly think that Blaise Zabini could have come up with that on his own? It was my plan from the beginning; if you had impressed the Malfoys, you would have had nothing to worry about."

I leaned against the wall and tried to pull myself together: her own father had planned for Pia's would-be rape. The prick. I closed my eyes, striving to hear whatever other sins he would admit to. Instead, I heard the sounds of a struggle. I stuck my head around the corner and what I saw sickened me.

Pia's mother, bloodied, bruised, her gown half-ripped off of her body. Pia, trying to tend to her mother's wounds as she bit and snarled at Pia; Pia's own wounds, running from her neck to her bust, weeping blood. Pia wasn't paying attention to what was going on, and her father whipped out his wand and threw a hex at Pia.

The hex was headed straight for Pia. I didn't think, I just rushed into the room, intending to shield her and her mother with my own body. I screamed, and Pia and her mother turned in time for me to collide with them. Pia must have put some sort of binding spell on her mother, because when I connected with them, Necromana was unable to move with us. The three of us ended up tangled, but it was not enough to save her from the hex intended to hit someone younger and in better condition.

The sickly blue light hit Necromana Black right above her heart, almost in her throat. The light in her eyes flashed and went out, and as she died, she cried out for her husband.

"Titus!"

_**Never again**_

_**Been there before but not like this**_

_**I've seen him before**_

_**But not like this**_

Pia's pov

"Mother!" I cried from under Draco's great weight, but I knew that she was already dead. Had she not already been beaten to within an inch of her life, or perhaps if she had been younger and not been made to breed constantly in hopes of a live-born son, she might have been able to withstand the hex my father had thrown at me. Perhaps, if Draco hadn't shown up when he did, trying to save me, maybe I would have been able to take the hex, save my mother; perhaps not. But I had never called her 'mum', never felt any true attachment, and somehow that one fact made everything worse.

"'Pia, you've got to pull it together. We need to get you out of here, before he regroups and kills all of us," Draco whispered as we tried to rise and leave unnoticed. My father was bent over my mother's body, and I think he wept; I don't know for sure that he wept for her, maybe he wept because one last time he had been unable to break his unruly daughter.

I turned to Draco, and I could feel heat in my eyes. "All of us?"

"Snape's here, too, and he's got good reason. Shit, we have to get directly past your father to get out of here," Draco hissed.

It was already too late. Titus Black rose from his short vigil, and he turned hate-filled eyes on me. I had ceased to call that animal my father.

"You spiteful little bitch. You killed your own mother! See what you've done. You took all that space, all that time in your mother's womb, when she could have grown me a dutiful daughter or an heir. But no, she whelped you, an ungrateful bint who spread her legs for the miserable get of a failing family. You defied us at every turn, and she died for it. For this, you'll pay with your own lives. Severus, why don't you join us, and see what happens to your darling Narcissa's boy!" Titus called out, raising his wand. I looked to Draco, whose face had gone white as my father finished his diatribe and drew Snape into the room. The potions master was locked in a powerful binding spell, much stronger than the one I had used on my mother as I had tried to heal her and help her.

"Titus, you've killed once tonight. Don't do it again, or you'll get the dementor's kiss before you even reach your cell at Azkaban," Snape rasped, his breathing labored as he hovered just above the ground. His toes brushed the floor, but Titus would let him have no peace.

"Oh, I'm not going to do any killing, just the torturing. After a while, the whore will kill herself, and the boy not long after. Once you see what happens when you let down the love of your life and her line, you'll either go mad or kill yourself, Severus. I wouldn't want to keep all the fun to myself. Perhaps I should let you down, though, and you could help, would you like that, hmm?" Titus cackled, and his madness permeated the air, as if it had a presence all its own. He had focused all his attention on Snape, however, and that proved dangerous.

Draco threw me to the ground, knocking my breath out of my lungs as he charged Titus. He whipped out his wand, ripped the spell binding Snape, pocketed his wand, and threw himself at Titus. Titus was thrown back by the impact, and his wand went flying.

"You'll never touch a hair on 'Pia's head ever again. I'll kill you myself if you do," Draco snarled, his hands around Titus's throat. The older man stopped struggling, and Draco released him. He kneeled on Titus's chest, and he held his wand over his throat. "I could bind your throat right now, and I would get the shortest time possible at Azkaban, for I'd not have used an Unforgivable. Vow that you'll never harm Persiopeia Cornelia Black ever again, and that she'll be my bride, and I'll let you live. I vow to you now, however, that if you ever interfere with her life ever again, I'll kill you; I'll find you no matter where you are, and I'll kill you. And no jury would ever find against me, not if I rid the world of a monster like you."

Titus coughed and gagged as Draco rolled off of him. "I promise never to harm my darling daughter ever, ever again."

"Don't claim her as your own, you vile heap of filth. She's better than you and all your get before you. Even Sirius Black himself, cohort of James Potter and Remus Lupin and that vile turncoat Peter Pettigrew, was a better man than you."

"Ah, and why should I claim her as my own when she's not? I've said it before, I'm sure you've thought it yourself. Look at that hair, the skin, the eyes. She's an off-shoot of the Weasley clan; or perhaps you though that there was some red-headed weasel blood in the Black line?" Titus laughed, and I saw his arms shoot up as he grappled Draco to the ground. He wrestled Draco to the ground, pounding his head into the floor until his eyes fluttered shut.

"Draco!" I screamed, and Snape finally came out of his stupor.

"Crucio!" Snape was shouting over and over again, but he couldn't aim, thanks to the after-effects of the charm Titus had cast on him. "'Pia, take Draco and get out of here. I'll hold Titus back."

Snape was grunting in his efforts, and I hurried over to Draco as Titus's back was turned on us as he fought with Snape. They threw curses and counter-curses back and forth, and I thought we were in the clear. Titus threw two curses in quick succession and returned his attention to Draco and me.

"My darling, I promised not to touch my daughter ever again, but I think we've established that you're not mine. You're the miserable get of the first Ronald Bilius Weasley; poor Arthur's twin brother. He got your mother pregnant and his job and therefore his usefulness had ended. The poor sap died in a tragic accident on a mission; would it please you to know that your father was an Auror?" Titus advanced on me, and I don't know what I expected to happen, but I know what happened.

Titus shoved Draco away from me and with a wordless charm bound my arms away from my body and levitated me. I whimpered and felt my strength begin to wane. It was like Zabini all over again. He came up to me and slapped me across the face, and back again, until my lips were bloodied and my cheeks purpled. Draco still lay motionless by my feet. Titus motioned and I felt my body tilt. I cried out as my back screamed at me in pain.

CRACK!

"Not now, my sweet; I've never gotten to taste you, and he has," Titus pointed his wand at Draco, shooting a few small sparks at his almost lifeless form. His attention was on me, so he didn't see Draco stir and begin to rouse. Titus crept closer still to me, and his face was close to mine. His tongue snaked out and I felt it and his hot breath on my neck. Draco's eyes shot open as Titus made his fatal mistake.

SNAP!

Draco had moved with inhuman speed, and I saw the feral madness in his eyes. He was off the floor and his hands were around Titus's neck; Titus's eyes registered his surprise before Draco twisted his neck to the breaking point. His mouth opened in a last 'O' in surprise before he died and dropped to the floor.

"I told him never to touch you again. Shame for him he couldn't listen."

_**Just tell the nurse you slipped and fell**_

_**It starts to sting as it starts to swell**_

_**She looks at you**_

_**She wants the truth**_

_**It's right out there in the waiting room**_

_**With those hands**_

_**Lookin' just as sweet as he can**_

_**Never again**_

Pia's pov

This time around, when all was said and done, we couldn't just run to the headmaster and the school infirmary to fix things. We waited while Snape summoned the Auror corps and the Magical Law Enforcement Office. We tried to find a clean place to sit in the quickly darkening sitting room. As we lit more candles and built up the fire, we were able to see more of the destruction Titus Black had wreaked on others who had run afoul of him.

Blood was caked on the walls and the old rugs. I knew some of it was my mother's, some was my own, but I couldn't account for the rest of it. I cringed at the idea that the man I grew up calling father could have been capable of killing and torturing the multitude that would have left this stain, but then again, he wasn't really my father.

Draco seemed to have not registered the information about my true parentage, or perhaps he didn't care. I'd deal with that later.

Draco's pov

The sitting room was a shambles. Necromana Black's ruined body lay sprawled on the blood-encrusted carpet. Titus Black's twisted head smiled a maniac smile in its death rigors. Pia shivered on the floor in one of the few clean spots we could find. Snape was pacing as we waited for the law to arrive. It was a very muggle expression, but according to Pia, it suited me and the occasion.

We were quiet, and my head snapped up when the first set of Aurors arrived. I recognized the man in the lead. Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Ah, Severus, so glad you messaged the Aurors corps first. All too often, Magical Law gets here before we do, and all the evidence of dark magic is obliterated in their search for more muggle forms of evidence," Kingsley said as he walked around the room, his wand up as he acted like a human radar machine.

Shacklebolt and his companions searched the room up and down, and a third assistant was searching the rest of the manor. One of the two in the sitting room stopped and waved Shacklebolt over. The other assistant joined them and the three put their heads together for a few short, worrisome moments.

"Severus," Shacklebolt began, "Are you sure that you and your two students did nothing more than simple binding spells?"

"Yes, Kingsley. And stop interrogating me. You've been told before" Snape began, but Shacklebolt cut him off.

"I have to ask, before MLE gets here. And don't bring that up, not here, Severus. It's not the place, nor the time. I need to know before they get here, because there is a lot of residual dark magic in the manor. If we can corroborate your story, that will go a long way towards protecting you from the MLE; they've become a little power hungry since they've been gathering information and techniques from their study of muggle law. I don't want good wizards and witches to suffer for it." (AN: 'MLE' Magical Law Enforcement)

"Fine. When we arrived, I could tell that Persiopeia Black had used a weak binding spell on Necromana Black in order to tend to her wounds and keep her from wounding Miss Black herself. A powerful binding spell was cast on me by Titus Black. Draco Malfoy sensed the hex that Titus was throwing at Persiopeia and threw himself at her and Necromana in order to save them; the binding spell on Necromana prohibited him from moving her, and as a result, she took the hex in the chest, above her heart. Draco attacked Titus physically, using no magic and wrestled him; Titus knocked him out. We were trading curses back and forth, and finally, I was forced to use the Cruciartus Curse on him in an effort to save as many lives as possible. He levitated Miss Black and was beginning to molest her when young master Malfoy regained consciousness. Titus Black was going to rape her and kill us, and Draco used his element of surprise to overtake Titus. He snapped the bastard's neck; I think that was too good for him. No need to tell the MLE that, though," Snape finished with a bitter laugh.

Shacklebolt turned his focus to Pia and me. "Neither one of you used anything more than a binding spell?"

"Yes, sir," we answered quietly. I moved to Pia's side, helping her up off the floor, so we could stand to face the MLE. I put my arms around her, and she leaned into me. I put my lips to the top of her head and inhaled deeply. The sweet smell of her shampoo put me at ease.

"Any chance of a cleaning charm, just to get the worst of it off?" I said, thinking on what all Pia had been through in the past week. She gained a fiancée, we realized our love, she was kidnapped, almost raped, rescued, forced to sit through that awful interrogation, and had gone home to fix things only to live through a horror no one had guessed.

"Sorry, but not until the MLE talks to you, Draco, Persiopeia. They should be here" Shacklebolt was cut off by the consecutive POP!s of the five members of the MLE assigned to the Black Manor incident, as it would come to be called in later times.

We had to repeat our stories to the MLE, but Kingsley Shacklebolt and his cohorts were able to help clear everything up, and corroborate our stories with evidence they gleaned from the manor. After we were escorted out of Black Manor and to the hereditary Snape home, Shacklebolt wanted to get Pia and me back to family for the time-being, and we would be taken back to Hogwart's for classes Monday morning.

"Kingsley, they can stay here for the weekend," Snape said, trying to help us. He knew we didn't want to be apart.

"Sorry, Severus. We'll be taking Draco back to Malfoy Manor. You'll be staying here, and we'll take Persiopeia to her family. I believe a certain Auror we all know would be more than happy to take her in. Nymphadora is her cousin, after all," Shacklebolt said, eyeing Pia and me, smiling warmly as he tried to comfort us.

"And how will Lupin react to sharing space with a fifteen-year old Slytherin, raised to hate muggles and others with, ahem, 'ailments'?" Snape said, and my eyes snapped to him.

"'Pia's not staying with the lycan! Find some other place. Besides that, she and Tonks would never get along," I scoffed; I wasn't about to put my Pia in danger by housing her with a werewolf.

"Then where do you suppose to put her? All her other relatives are in exile, in Azkaban, or dead."

"Not all of them."


	12. Familiar Faces, Unfamiliar Settings

**Two of a Kind**

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. We do, however, own Persiopeia Black and all other original characters created for this story.**

Chapter 12: Familiar Faces, Unfamiliar Settings

Pia's pov

"Not all of them," Draco said, and my jaw dropped. He'd not only heard but remembered what Titus Black said about my parentage. And now he was going to turn me over to my extended Weasley family!

"You're not serious," I said to Draco, and I could feel my cheeks start to burn. I wanted to cry, and the tears were forming on their own, but I couldn't let them fall. Not here, in front of Draco, Snape, and all those other people.

"Draco's right, Persiopeia. You're a Weasley, by admission of your so-called 'parents'. You need to stay with family, and the Weasleys are all you've got. Draco and I will take you there ourselves, and we'll collect you Sunday evening to take you back to Hogwart's," Snape said, and I heard the finality of the situation in his voice.

Kingsley Shacklebolt, his assistants, Mathilda Gotwaite and her assistants (AN: the MLE people) had finished their investigation and meeting. Mathilda, a portly middle-aged witch who looked as if she should be dandling grandchildren and baking and eating cookies was the first to speak.

"Now, Persy," she began, and I shot her a dirty look.

"Don't call me 'Persy'. You may address me as Persiopeia or Miss Black, but not 'Persy'," I said coldly. We'd already gotten off on the wrong foot, it would appear. Perhaps it should be Miss Weasley now?

"Miss, we'll allow Professor Snape and young master Malfoy to take you to your next of kin. As Ronald Bilius Weasley was Arthur Weasley's twin brother, you will be staying with his family, no argument. As for the events that took place in this manor today, I declare all three of you innocent. Anything done was in self-defense, and the death of Necromana Black was quite obviously an accident. As for Black Manor and all properties and effects therein, you will be informed at a later date as to what will be done with them. Good day," and with a POP! Mathilda Gotwaite and her assistants Apparated to Merlin-knows-where.

Shacklebolt shared a look with his assistants and Snape before he looked to me. "You'd best learn to make do, Persiopeia. You may keep your last name for now, but you may find that you are required to take your birth-father's last name. Do you want me to take you to the Burrow?" Shacklebolt's voice was kind as he finished, but I looked to Draco.

"We'll take her, sir. No need to put her through any more today, now is there?" Draco said, but he averted his eyes from mine. It was only late Friday afternoon; it was going to be a long weekend, getting to know my new family.

"Am I not to have any say in the matter? Why can't I just go back to the school?" I asked; I knew that once I was confirmed as a Weasley, there was no going back. I just didn't know what would happen between Draco and me once that happened.

"'Pia, it's time for you to listen to those who know what is best for you. We're not just going to ship you off to live with the Weasleys. But you are an underage wizard, and as such the safest place for you to be is with close blood relatives. You will do as you are told, and you will be civil. Besides, how would you marry into a prestigious family like that of the Malfoys if you don't accept your blood?" Snape said, and I blushed as he hit my most tender part: I wanted Draco, and as long as he wanted me, I wanted to be his, to marry him.

"Yes, Professor," if he wanted to be cold, so could I. "No need for young master Malfoy to join us, then?"

Draco's pov

No way in hell as I just going to let Pia go off to family she'd never spent any time with alone. Especially the Weasleys, a family that had no reason to treat her any better than we'd ever treated her own children. Yes, they shared red hair and that famous temper. But Pia had skin that tanned, it didn't burn or freckle, the way Ron and Ginny's tended to. Maybe Ginny would be like a sister to her, and the boys like brothers.

That was bad. Pia would inherit six boy cousins, more like brothers, because she'll be living in the same house, plus she's had no brothers up till now, might as well call them brothers; five of them older and therefore very jealous and apt to do me bodily harm for looking at Pia. Period. I knew from guys at school that one Ravenclaw that had shown particular interest in Ginny had gotten a visit from both Bill and Charlie Weasley, the eldest Weasley boys. Other than that, Percy Weasley and Ron kept boys away, save Potter. I don't know what they all saw in him, but apparently he was good enough for the Weasley princess. Or one of them, now that Pia was a Weasley.

Would I be good enough for my Weasley princess?

Pia's pov

Snape and Draco took me to the Burrow in the dead of night; I thought it was most like the stories of when Potter was dropped off at his family's home after his parents' deaths. All that was missing was Hagrid and his motorcycle. I grew sicker as we drew closer to the Burrow. We could not Apparate directly into the Burrow, out of courtesy for Mrs. Weasley.

We Side-Along Apparated to a site about ten minutes' walk from the Burrow. I attached myself to Draco's hand; I didn't want to let go, but I knew that I'd have to when we arrived and Mrs. Weasley descended on me. I looked from Draco's steely-blue eyes to Snape's stony black ones. Neither would reveal anything to me, and therefore I was left to my own thoughts as we trudged towards the dark dwelling.

"Did it occur to anyone to let them know what was happening? Are the Weasleys expecting me?" I asked, desperate to break the silence that had descended on the three of us.

"No, Pia, we have not notified Arthur or Molly. Bear in mind that to them, Ronald is long dead with no heir. Better to shock them at once than twice in quick succession on one night," Snape said as we arrived at the gate that would lead us into the yard before we entered the house.

"And you're just going to leave me here all alone? You'll go back to your family home, Draco will go to Malfoy Manor, and I'll stay here, at the Burrow, all alone?" I said, stopping in my tracks. I'd had quite enough of the whole thing, and I wasn't letting those two off that easy.

"Stop being so dramatic, Pia. You'll not be alone you're gaining an entire extended family. You'll have six brothers, basically, and a sister. You'll never be lonely in this house. And if it's too bad here, perhaps Tonks will take you in," Snape said exasperatedly.

"Pia, from now on, you'll never be lonely. You're a Weasley now, and they look after their own. I know you'll be safe here," Draco said quietly. I looked at him and I think I saw him, really saw him, for the first time that night.

A light drizzle had started when we had arrived outside the Burrow, and by the time we had reached the gate, it was pouring. Draco's long platinum blonde hair was wet, and he was soaked to the bone like me. His hands were scratched, and his face looked gaunt after the ordeal. Blood had collected at the back of his head, where the skin had split when Titus pounded him into the floor. His breathing was labored from the fight. I reached out to him, and my robes fell away from my torso.

Draco hissed a breath before reaching out and pulling my robes back together for me. I looked down and saw why. My shirt was ripped to shreds and my bra was held together by strings, but that wasn't it. My neck and chest was laid almost completely open from my mother's first lucky attack. It was as if hadn't even seen the wounds before, and the pain was new and awful.

"Sorry you had to see that, love," I whispered, mortified. I should have noticed, but instead I put him through the experience again. I was sure that he had seen the act that gave me the wound. I turned to Snape. "Any chance you could heal this for me before Mrs. Weasley sees me?"

"Sorry, but no. I'm not too good with healing spells. Molly Weasley will be better at healing this than I would. We're almost there, so be patient and don't move your torso too much," Snape said. He put a hand on my shoulder and one on Draco's. "Mr. Malfoy, if there is anything you must say privately to 'Pia, I suggest that you say it before we breach the Weasley stronghold."

"I have nothing to say," Draco said in a voice without emotion. I wanted to cry out to him, but Snape marched us into the Weasley kitchen and bellowed for Mrs. Weasley.

Snape sat me down at the large kitchen table in the Weasley home and I waited for a family I had never known. Draco stood by the window, determinedly staring out; Snape paced until we heard footsteps coming down stairs. Snape came to stand before me, and motioned for me to stand myself. I rose and tried to arrange my robes to cover my shredded clothing and ruined chest. Sighing, I gave up and stared at the two sleepy redheads who ran into the kitchen.

"Severus, what is going on?" Arthur Weasley said, but his wife cut him to the chase.

"Snape, why have you brought Malfoy here? And the girl, who's she?" Molly Weasley. "Have you any idea what time it is? And the boys are only here for a short while; they are exhausted, they don't need to woken up in the middle of the night by professors on fool's errands."

"Molly, quiet. Look at her her eyes; that green is unmistakable. We haven't had those eyes in the family since" Arthur broke off quietly. Molly stopped her tirade and turned to stare at Pia.

"Snape, what is the meaning of this?" Molly whispered. "Draco, could you leave us alone?"

I spoke up at that point. "Draco, please don't leave. Not now, not until this is all straightened out."

"May I have the pleasure of introducing Persiopeia Cornelia Weasley Black?" Snape asked me more than he actually announced my parentage. Arthur and Molly Weasley shared a look and sat down heavily in two of the many chairs scattered around the table. Draco turned from his place at the window and came to stand by me, in the space between Snape and me. He slipped his arm around my shoulders and kissed me in front of my aunt and uncle. "Knock it off, Malfoy. This is neither the time nor the place for you two to be doing that."

We heard two more sets of footsteps coming close. I brought my wand up, ready for anything. I was on edge after the night's events. I let out the breath I had been holding when two more redheads joined us. One was taller and lankier, but both had the same build as Ron Weasley. The one I attended school with. The taller one had the most piercing eyes I had ever seen, save for Draco. The other one had blue eyes that bordered on green, but not the green of my own eyes.

"Mum, Dad, everything alright?" the taller boy man, rather, said, his own wand held high.

"Yes, Bill, we're fine. Come meet your cousin," Molly Weasley said softly. "Persiopeia, this is your cousin, William," she motioned to the taller man, "And this is your cousin Charles," she motioned to the other man.

"You may call me Charlie. Well met, Pia," Charlie bowed to me, grabbing my hand and kissing it. "And stay away from my newest sister, got it, Malfoy?"

"You can call me Bill, Pia. We won't call you Persy. That name has somewhat of a stigma in this family, now. And I'll say the same: stay away from Pia, Malfoy," Bill and Charlie glared at Draco and came closer to tower over him.

"Knock it off, you two! He's my lover, so you'd better deal quick!" I shouted. I sat down in a chair and tried to calm my racing heart. New family, dead parents, and a boyfriend that at times wanted to marry me and at other times probably wanted to throttle me. The new family would probably never accept Draco, and sooner or later, I would have to choose. Draco would win.

Did I announce that he was my lover?

Draco's pov

Almost the entire night was a 'question and answer' session. The Weasleys asked Snape questions, Pia asked Snape questions, she asked the Weasleys questions, they asked her questions, and eventually the truth of her parentage came out.

"Ronald was my twin, Pia," Mr. Weasley said quietly. "When we told our own parents that we were joining the Ministry of Magic, we all kind of assumed that he and I would work in the same office. But when we arrived for our exams and to tour the place, Ronald became entranced by the Aurors and their lifetime work. He didn't say a thing, not even to me, until he had already trained and had been accepted into the corps of Aurors. You need to know that he was one of the bravest Aurors ever to serve. He was a part of the force that tracked Voldemort and suppressed the Deatheater uprising of 1980. He helped save over a hundred muggles that would have died that day, without the intervention of the Aurors. Your father, your real father, was a brave, honorable man. Had your mother not led him to believe that she was available; he would never have courted her. I'm sure that you realize that we do not blame you. Your return to us is amazing; we never even knew that you existed. We had always heard of the one who looked like a Weasley, but Ronald never told us." Mr. Weasley smiled at Pia, and came around the table to put his arms around her. Her wounds had been healed and she'd been given new robes to replace the ones destroyed by the Blacks.

Mrs. Weasley blushed and coughed quietly. I shot my eyes to her. "What now? What have you to say?" I was sick of the emotion in the room; I wanted Pia back to herself, and back with me, and me alone.

Mrs. Weasley looked guilty as she spoke. "Arthur, Ronald mentioned something to me before he went off on that fool's errand that cost him his life."

I settled into a chair and pulled Pia onto my lap, putting my arms around her waste to hold her to me. She kissed me softly, and we readied ourselves to hear the story.

Mrs. Weasley began softly, and her voice grew in volume as she continued. "Ronald was Arthur's twin, but he was also close to the Marauders, a group of people you are all well-acquainted with. When James and Lily Potter went into hiding, Ronald was one of the wizards who helped with the charms used to hide Godrick's Hollow. Remus Lupin was stationed in a ton nearby, and Sirius Black, Pia's uncle, was chosen as the secret-keeper. But as time went on, and more of the higher-ups in the Ministry heard of Sirius's previous activity as a Deatheater, they put pressure on him to step down as secret-keeper. He finally agreed, and Peter Pettigrew was set as the new secret-keeper. Attacks came closer and closer, just barely missing Godrick's Hollow at some times. Pettigrew disappeared, and Ronald was assigned to find him. He had come to the Burrow late one night, when Arthur was still at the office, because he couldn't hide his excitement any longer.

"Pia, you probably already know this, but not only are you distantly descended from the Black and Lestrange families on both sides from the Blacks who raised you, your mother was one of the prettiest witches of our age when she was younger. Ronald had fallen hard for her, but she as we know now, she was, at that time, married to Titus Black. Necromana was unable to carry any of Titus's children to term, and from what's been said, we also know that she duped Ronald into her bed. Ronald came here to tell us that he was in love with Necromana, and that she was pregnant and they were getting married. When I asked if he had asked her yet, he had said no, but that he knew that she would say yes. An urgent owl flew into the window with an anonymous clue to Pettigrew's whereabouts.

"When Ronald Dis-Apparated out of my kitchen that night, it was the last time he was seen. All hell broke loose the next morning: James and Lily were murdered and Harry Potter was spirited away; your uncle was unjustly sent to Azkaban with a farce of a trial; but for us, the worst thing was that your father, our darling Ronald, was found dead. It took a long time to find out who had killed him, but in the end, from what Titus Black said, he killed Ronald himself, and he must have sent the owl and the message. I went into premature labor, and named my youngest son after his courageous uncle," Mrs. Weasley finished, and she looked at her husband. "I'm so sorry, Arthur, I should have told you that night that he had been there, but something just clicked, and I couldn't say anything."

Snape spoke up at that point, "Chances are good that there was a compulsion on the message, one that would not allow anyone to whom it wasn't addressed speak of it. Apparently, the compulsion has finally worn off."

Pia hung her head, and I turned to cradle her head on my shoulder. Charlie Weasley growled at me and Bill came over to help her up and onto her feet.

"I think it is about time that we get to sleep, don't you think?" Mr. Weasley said. He couldn't look his wife in the eye, but he turned instead to Snape and me. "You two are welcome to stay the night, or what's left of it. I think that I'll head into work early, though. Lots of paperwork, you know."

Mr. Weasley went to prepare to leave. Snape turned to Mrs. Weasley, "We appreciate the offer, but I must take young master Malfoy back to his own family due to the night's events. I myself will be staying at my family's hereditary lands for the time being. Pia, you know how to contact me, if you have need of me. I'll return to take you back to the school Sunday afternoon. Draco?"

I looked at Pia, and I had no idea when I'd next see her. I pried her from Charlie and Bill and kissed her with all my might. Perhaps that would be enough to keep her through the coming days.

Pia's pov

Bill and Charlie caught me after Draco released me from his powerful kiss. I threw their arms off and turned to face Molly Weasley. Her eyes burned into mine and she turned away first.

"I win," I said softly, waiting for her to say something. Bill opened his mouth, but Charlie spoke first.

"What do you think you've won, Persiopeia? This night has gone on far too long, for my taste. Bill, take Mum and get some chocolate into her, after this shock she needs it. I'll take care of the runt. Mum, d'you mind if I put her in Percy's old room? Fine, then," Charlie stepped in like a drill sergeant. Bill took Molly in his arms and guided her away from me and towards the pantry, opening it and pulling out a foil-wrapped package, presumably containing chocolate. Charlie looked down at me and motioned towards the door of the kitchen, leading into the house proper. I moved ahead of him and he stopped me.

"What, Charlie?" I said, scared. I was afraid that he was going to take his revenge for his uncle's death on me.

Saying nothing, Charlie took my hand in his and led me through the door and up some poorly-lit stairs. I stiffened at first, but I quickly relaxed as Charlie's hand warmed my own. I looked up at him, and he looked back with warmth playing in his eyes. I blushed, mostly for thinking that this gentle man would hurt me. Then he opened his mouth.

"This was our brother Percy's room before he betrayed the family. You'll be staying here for the time being. I'm sure once the shock has worn off, Mum and Dad will let you do what you like to it. Before you go back to Hogwart's, you'll have to go back to Black Manor with Bill and me to gather your things. It's not like we can afford to provide you with all new. I understand that it is probably too soon for you, but you need your things before you go back to school. When you arrive for your break, this room will look as if you always lived in it. For what it's worth, I'm sorry this all had to happen. We all love you, remember that when things get hairy," Charlie said quietly as he opened the door to a small room filled with books, a small desk, a bed, an old trunk, and a chest of drawers.

"I don't have any sleep-clothes with me," I said lamely. I looked at Charlie and he started laughing. I had to laugh as well. The two people I had grown up calling mother and father were dead: father kills mother, lover kills father, and I'm worried about what I'm going to sleep in.

Charlie smiled at me and whipped out his wand. He pointed at the bed and murmured a short incantation, and a vibrant green nightdress appeared there.

"There you go, 'Pia. To match your beautiful eyes, and a gift to me newest 'sister'," Charlie leaned down and kissed the top of my head.

I couldn't help myself, my sense of humor was out of whack, probably from shock, and I spoke without thinking. "I'm sure Draco will love it!"

"Good night, Persiopeia," Charlie said shortly. I must have touched a nerve, because the warmth left with him.

"Damn," I said to no one in particular. This was turning into a knock-out night, all-around. I shucked my borrowed robes and slipped the nightdress over my head and onto my shoulders. I silently thanked Merlin for the warmth of the room, because what I couldn't see when the nightdress was on the bed was apparent on my skin when I put it on: it was made of emerald green silk, falling straight down to my toes and hanging from thin spaghetti straps.

I looked at my reflection in the old mirror that had probably seen more than ten generations of Weasley women. The one who looked back now had an unbelievably sad expression on her face. I scowled and climbed into the waiting bed, praying for a dreamless sleep.

Pia's dream, again

Malfoy Manor, the coming spring

"Draco, your family will have no love for me, not upon Titus's nor Necromana's death. Why have we come here?" I asked, feeling weightless. I was pregnant; I'm not sure how I knew this.

"Ah, darling, nothing to worry your sweet little head over. All will be well and good when we leave here," Draco replied, resting his chin lightly on the top of my head. He'd taken the news of impending fatherhood quite well for one so young. I let him guide through the gates and up to the imposing structure. As I gazed at the decrepit exterior, it occurred to me that most old wizarding families must neglect their dwellings. More money equals less elegance, I suppose.

We entered the grand foyer and were met by a maid who floated on air. She led us mutely to the family drawing room, where Draco's parents waited. I smiled tentatively, watching Draco for any clues as to how to act. He drew me to stand in front of his parents while they all studied me.

"She hasn't even begun to show yet, Lucius, Draco. Surely things can be reconsidered," my aunt Narcissa said. Titus was not my birth father, but my mother was also a distant relative. She tried to smile at me, but failed miserably.

I stepped back, out of Draco's reach, while I regarded my uncle Lucius. "Uncle mine, what does your wife speak of?"

"It has already been considered, Narcissa. You will do well to keep your mouth shut from now on. Draco will do the good thing, the honorable thing. He would do no less," Lucius said, saccharine poisoning his words.

No one was talking to me, they were staring at me, or glancing to me and then away again. I opened my mouth to speak to Draco. "What is going on, Draco?" I hissed.

He gave me a triumphant yet sad look as he knelt down on one knee before me.

"I just wanted my parents to see this, darling," Draco said, emphasizing the last.

My heart swelled and I knew what he was about to do. "Yes, Draco!"

"I cast you out of my life, Persiopeia Cornelia Weasley. You're the miserable get of a half-baked, washed up Auror-wannabe. You will leave this house, and all will know that I was not the one to get this child on you. All will know that you tried to bespell me with your wanton black magick. You are the whore-bitch born of a whore-bitch. Get out!"

I was running, falling. Suddenly, I was in the middle of a clearing in a forest. Nasty-looking fairies and pixies hovered around me.

"Young master Malfoy wished for us to mid-wife his heir. We are concerned only with the child. Don't die before it rips its way out of you," the leader, a sickly green hag of a pixie, said.

I felt a contraction rip its way through me as the child began to move from my womb out into the world. The horrid creatures hovered, never aiding me. I bled gallons and gallons of blood. The child finally stuck one, two arms out and pulled himself from me. As the creature slithered from my birth-canal, he turned to face me with a lipless mouth and haunted eyes. He was bald, and he'd never have hair; his eyes were evil as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Finally, the Malfoyssss havvve proven their worthhh," the creature hissed at me, his face taking on a reptilian cast.

"He Who Shall Not Be Named," I breathed. Another contraction threatened to rip my body in two. I screamed.

"Quit it," the pixie queen hissed. "The young master is coming, and he'll not be disturbed by the likes of you!"

Draco appeared in the clearing. "Finally, you bint, you've birthed the rightful lord and king."

The creature reverted to an almost passable baby form. Draco picked him up and turned to leave. I was going to be left to die.

"Draco," I croaked. I wanted him to end it, to kill me with some sort of mercy.

"I'll not be helping a slag who killed her parents and tried to rope me into marriage," he spit on me and left.

I screamed until the pixies swarmed.

end dream

I was still screaming, because Molly and Bill came running. I was clawing my own arms, trying to rid myself of the memories of the dream, but they wouldn't leave me alone.

Molly sat on my bed, trying to cradle me, but I was trying to escape the teeth of the pixies. Bill lit every light in the room and opened the drapes at the window to let in the light so it could chase my nightmare away.

"Shh, darling, all is right. Your aunt Molly is here, and your cousin Bill," Molly was cooing as I came out of my fugue. I shook my head one last time as I began to really see them.

"Molly? Bill? Where's Charlie? Where's Draco?" I was getting hysterical again. Not a good sign.

"Charlie's gone to town to pick up some things. I don't know where Malfoy is," Bill said stiffly. "What happened?"

I spilled my guts about the dream. I wanted it out in the open and out of my head. When I finished, Molly continued to hold me as I cried. Bill patted my shoulder awkwardly, as if he weren't used to comforting people. I knew that wasn't what was going on: Charlie was upset about my remarks about Draco last night, and he and Bill must have had words.

Bill cleared his throat. "Your dream is right. You shouldn't trust Malfoy. That sounds just like that family. Find another boyfriend, and this time around, don't sleep with him immediately," Bill said before he stalked off.

My mouth dropped open at his bluntness. I looked at Molly, and said in a wry voice, "My, what sweethearts are your children."

She tried to frown at me, but must have thought the better of it. "I imagine you don't get along with Ronald or Ginny either?"

I shook my head. "Not most of the time. They did help rescue me at the beginning of the term, though. They seemed to have been warming up to me, if not to Draco. By the way, so you know, Draco really isn't like that. Neither is his mother. She's just weak, from years at the hands of the Black family and Lucius. I won't leave Draco just to make Charlie or Bill happy, either."

Molly laughed and hugged me tighter. "Yes, you are a Weasley, that much shows. I'll give Draco a chance. If he is all you make him out to be, then you and he won't have a problem. You may continue to see him, so long as his family agrees to it. In fact, even if they don't, I don't see them being able to keep him from you. Give the rest of the family some time. Old, rich blood has always had a problem with old, poor blood. As generations pass, the old rich families have fewer children and therefore less of a chance of an heir living to get another heir. The poor purebloods seem much more willing to intermingle with different families, regardless of heritage, in an order to keep the magic alive in the family. Unfortunately, the truth about your birth will make things harder with Draco's family. But I'm sure your cousin Tonks can help you. Its not like her love-life is any less complicated."

Molly kissed the top of my head and got up from the bed. I pulled my covers back from my body and climbed out of the bed.

"I'm sorry about Percy," I said quietly. Molly stiffened as she walked towards the door.

"Get dressed, love. I've got breakfast on, and I assume your cousins, Weasley and other, will be winging in shortly. You may not want to greet them in that. Charlie, I presume?"

"How'd you guess?"

"He was, shall we say, peeved, when he came down from escorting you to bed last night. I never would have left that for you, and Bill thinks any younger girl related to him should still be wearing flannel every night of the year," she said as she left me to dress.

"Aunt Molly! I don't have any clothes!" I screeched, reality striking.

I didn't even hear the spell, but a pair of denims and a royal blue, soft as lamb, sweater appeared on the bed. I was going to mention a lack of knickers and bra, but when I unfolded the sweater, clean undergarments fell onto the bed.

"Thank you!" I shouted down, fighting a giggle. I ran to the bathroom in my new nightie and grabbed a towel from the linen closet in the bathroom. I turned the water on and enjoyed a nice warm shower. I washed the rest of the gunk from the previous night from my body and shampooed my hair. Yes, Molly's spell had gotten rid of the grime from the battle, but I needed the shower to finalize the feeling. I toweled off and dressed quickly and regarded myself in the mirror.

My Merlin, my hair. Even wet, it curled with a mind of its own. I dried it well with a towel and finger-combed it back out of my face. I pulled half of my hair up and back on either side of my face, loosely braiding it and securing it with some hair ties I saw lying around. My clothing from last night had pockets, so I at least had some lipgloss. I smeared it on my lips and headed downstairs barefoot.

When I reached the kitchen, Molly's back was turned to me, but she wasn't alone. Beside her was pacing Nymphadora Tonks, Tonks to her friends. Hermione Granger was standing in a corner speaking to Ron. Ginny was seated at the large table, Harry standing protectively behind her, his hand resting on her shoulder.

"Now, now, shouldn't you have let me know there was a party starting, Molly?" I said breezily as I sauntered into the kitchen. I was stuck here, and they would have to deal with it the same way I had to deal with it.

Tonks spoke first. "She is your paternal aunt, Persiopeia. You will call her as such."

Tonks was obviously unhinged by what was going on, or else she would never have spoken like that. Molly ignored her and didn't even turn from the breakfast she was making as she talked to me. "Have a seat, Pia, dear. You may call me Molly or Aunt Molly, Auntie, it doesn't really matter. You already know everyone in the room, so try to get along, please. Sit down and get ready to tuck in."

I sat across from Ginny. Harry took a seat to one side of her, Hermione at her other. Which put Ron between Hermione and me. Tonks sat at my other side, and Molly served us but declined to join us.

"Whatever is going on, fix it. We're family, so if you can't like each other, then just love each other," she said as she stormed off, muttering about the lack of maturity of the clan and cursing both my father and her own husband.

Hermione started us off. "Well Pia, at least you have a good, strong family to fall back on," she said, glaring daggers at Ron.

"Gee, thanks, Hermione. Thanks for reminding me about last night. I should have put money on you showing up at an otherwise family-only occasion," I said dryly, watching her to see if she'd react. Ron put his hand on her shoulder and she said nothing.

"If you're so keen on family only, then why're you here, then? This isn't where you grew up, now is it? Big, bad Pia can hex her classmates up a storm but can't stay alone in Black Manor for one night? But, she wouldn't have been alone! She shares her bed with a dragon," Harry hissed.

"So, the next slumber party is at Godrick's Hollow, right, Harry, ol'chap?" I dropped casually. Ginny pulled her wand out to shut me up, but it was Tonks and Ron that used silencing charms the four of us.

"Funny, I would have thought you'd have put your foot in it by now, Ron," Tonks chuckled while I was forced to remain silent. I'd have it for her when she took the charm off.

"Charlie talked to me before he went back out. Explained that she'd be just another sister, like Gin. What more can I do? Other than castrate Draco," Ron added as an after-thought. Tonks silenced him then.

"Listen, loves, we're going to be one big, happy family because that's what we are. We will bury the past and make new memories. Pia, I think you should be tested for your House again, and I think that Hermione and Ginny should start making room for another roommate as soon as they get back to the school. Harry, you and Hermione are the only ones not blood right now, and you haven't married in, either. Ron loves you both, as does Ginny, but I won't let you hurt this family. Through Pia, I am also family, though distantly. You want in, learn to get along. I won't have it any other way. Neither will Molly, but you're lucky I'm the one giving you this pep-talk and not her. Chins up, loves. And behave, because I happen to have an in with the big, bad wolf," Tonks released the silencing charms and Ron immediately opened his mouth.

"You sure do, Tonks. An in, an out, another in, another out," he trailed off, and I cracked up. It was a joke I would have made. Tonks blushed, but so did Hermione, so I took my chances and

"So, Ron, how are your ins and outs with Herms, here?" I grinned wickedly as I said it, and soon we were all taking potshots at each others' sex-lives. Ginny even got me a couple of times.

"So, Pia, inquiring minds want to know, are dragons like dogs? Does it retract when not in use? Is it scaly and hard or what?" Ginny was giggling so hard I could barely understand her. It struck me so funny I started to laugh so hard I cried.

"Not scaly, but definitely hard, and most of the time, too. For some reason, he's a much earlier riser than I am," I cracked up as an image of a horny dragon at dawn chasing a red-haired princess flashed in my mind.

"Well, I was going to rescue you from your newfound family, but I see I am not needed; at least, not outside the bedroom," a new voice joined our conversation.

I leapt out of my chair and into his arms.

"Draco!"

Later that night, after having talked Molly and Arthur into an extra houseguest and sneaking Draco into my new room, his kiss was the last thing I knew before I drifted into dreams.


	13. Now What?

**Two of a Kind**

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. We do, however, own Persiopeia Black and all other original characters created for this story.**

AN: I know that Ron and Harry have different birthdays in the series. For all intents and purposes, my version of events assumes that Ron was physically born on Harry's birthday, yet in honor of his uncle, his birth is celebrated on his uncle's birthday. Sorry that I didn't mention that in Molly's explanation.

Brenna

Chapter 13: Now What?

Sunday morning

Pia's pov

I woke up early Sunday morning wrapped in Draco's arms; my nose snuggled deep into his neck. I rolled over to look at a clock before I realized that I wasn't in my room at Hogwart's or Black Manor, I was in the Burrow. As such, there was on clock on a bedside table. There was not even a bedside table at this point, just a chest with some clothes Molly had scrounged up for me. I poked Draco in the chest to wake him.

"Get up, you. You have to get back down to where Arthur and Molly set you up last night before Bill and Ch" I started to say, but the door to my room slammed open and Charlie burst in, wand held high.

"Malfoy!!" he bellowed, shooting sparks at Draco. "Get out of my cousin's bed!"

"Charlie, hush up! Molly and Arthur will hear you. Nothing happened last night. Calm yourself. Draco's getting out of bed this instant, and then we can all go to Black Manor," I said, sitting up in the green shift Charlie had conjured for me my first night at the Burrow.

"Pia, Malfoy's not going with us to the Manor. Bill and I are taking you, and just you. Now get up and get dressed while I escort lover boy here out of the house," Charlie said in an exasperated voice.

"No, Charlie. I was Malfoy's before I belonged to this family. I don't want to have to choose, and you really don't want me to. You know who I'll choose, don't you, and it scares you. Who in their right mind would anything over the legendary warmth and kindness of the Weasley clan?" I said bitterly.

Draco was rousing, and he took my arm to try to calm me. "Pia, this really isn't the time or place," he said gently.

I shook him off. "I can tell you who chose something else over the Weasley clan: my mother. I wonder if it was really a plan, or if your mother and father scared her. Why else would she have left such a wonderful specimen of a man?"

"Pia, I refuse to fight over this. You can check the family registers; your mother was long married to Titus Black before she even met my uncle. But if you're not careful, people will start to assume that her roving eye was passed on through the womb to you," Charlie said before Bill stepped in and stopped him.

"Charlie, you're not her father. Pia, Charlie is not your enemy. Draco, you're dead if I catch you in here again. Everything settled? Good. You two get dressed so we can go to Black Manor," Bill said easily, shooing Charlie out of my room.

"Thanks, Bill," I said quietly. Charlie was charming, but Bill was quickly becoming my favorite cousin.

"So you know, Tonks will be coming with us. She is your maternal cousin. You are aware that you two are distantly related right? I mean, if you were to get married, no-one would stop you because it is such a distant relation, but" Bill left it hanging. What was it with all these people that they kept trying to marry me off? You'd think that they'd want me to get as far away from him, but I guess if I marry him then they'll stop trying to keep us apart.

"Look, it isn't that I don't want to marry Pia. I just have to cut through her engagement, my engagement, family animosity, and the whole 'not old enough to marry without parental consent' thing. Pia's parents are dead, so Arthur and Molly would have to agree. My own father or mother would have to consent to me getting married. How likely is that?" Draco said, getting out of the bed and throwing his robes over his day-clothes. He gave me his hand and helped me out of bed. I grabbed some clothes and headed for the bathroom to get changed. I definitely didn't need to hear about how impossible it would be to ever marry Draco. It would just make my nightmares worse.

I washed my face and applied some makeup that Molly had left out for me. Silver eye-shadow and forest green liner with navy blue mascara. I put it on quickly before I slipped on my gray skirt and stretchy cream top. My eyes glowed in my face, and my hair seemed redder than ever. I pulled half of it up from my face and secured it with a copper clip that had magically appeared in my pocket. I headed back to my room for robes and found that Draco and Bill had gone downstairs. I grabbed the robes and headed for the kitchen.

"Eating without me?" I teased. Charlie glared at me as Draco poured himself and Bill coffee from a steaming pot. I nodded and Draco poured a cup for me, black. I accepted it and gulped down half without waiting for it to cool. The only way to drink the stuff, if you ask me. And tea? Forget it. I need high octane to start my morning right.

POP!

"One for me, too, cousin," Tonks said after apparating into the Weasley kitchen. I sent her a look, and she smiled. "Some people are able to clear the wards that Molly set."

"Only because Mum had Dumbledore clear you through this warding," Bill laughed. He and Tonks were old friends, I noticed, but I also noticed Charlie glaring at his older brother. Things were clicking into place.

"Charlie, calm down. Bill won't steal Tonks. But I think a certain lycanthrope would object to you ogling her," I laughed. Bill and Tonks both glared at me. Draco coughed and took another sip of his coffee. I shot Bill a 'what'd I do?' look and Tonks sighed.

"The past is past, Pia. We have to get to the Manor and back here in time for you to head back to school with Snape. Let's get going," Tonks said, averting her eyes as Charlie looked at her indignantly.

"Sure, the past is past when you're the one who was doing the leading on, Nia," Charlie said forcefully.

"I never led you on, Charlie," Tonks said softly. "I thought Remus wasn't coming back, and I really did care for you; in fact, I still do. Don't do this, now; I thought you were over this. Surely your actions with Sioned McCain were proof that you had moved on!"

"No, Nia, I was rebounding. And now where has waiting for Lupin gotten you? You're lonely, I'm lonely, and we're too proud to admit it and get back together, give it another go," Charlie said bitterly.

"Charlie, I belong to Remus. If I tried to give it another go, I'd end up hurting you again when he did show up. You'll find another love. Give Sioned a chance; she is a lovely girl, and a muggle-born witch to boot. Your family would be so pleased," Tonks smiled slightly as Charlie blushed.

"Ahem," Draco cleared his throat. "Can we go? We're burning daylight, and I don't want to be at Black Manor when night falls, in case Titus and Necromana decide to haunt the damn place."

Fifteen minutes later, we were apparating to my childhood dwelling.

Draco's pov

That morning I learned more about Tonks, Lupin, and Charlie Weasley's love-life than I had ever wanted to know. At least Charlie wasn't pining after Pia. His actions had me wondering earlier, but now I know why he disapproved: he thought I was leading Pia on, the way Tonks had led him on, waiting for someone better to come along, someone with more to offer. I felt bad for him, but I happened to know that Sioned McCain was a truly talented witch with great connections. Tonks probably felt she was doing him a favor by turning him down.

All in all, it was somewhat sickening.

We managed to get to Black Manor by about eleven o'clock Sunday morning. The MLE was still there, but they cleared us to gather Pia's personal effects, which included a stash of muggle things that would have certainly gained her a beating from Titus. Perhaps that was why she kept them. To know that she could do something to spite him without being caught.

Bill, Charlie, and Tonks stayed with the MLE downstairs while I helped Pia pack all her things. They were discussing how the estate would be broken down, as Tonks and Pia were the only close members who had access to the Manor.

It took us about two hours to pack everything that Pia wanted to take with her. We went downstairs to talk with Tonks about getting the stuff to the Burrow and a decision had been reached.

"Half of my half of the estate will go to the Weasleys, to help with the rearing of Pia. Half of Pia's half will go into a trust until she comes of age, the other half will be available to her from today on. Just exercise some discretion, will you?" Tonks smiled at Pia.

"Are you trying to be my friend?" Pia asked.

"Yup. We're each all the other has, so time to get close, I guess. I'd offer to have you live with me, but I never know when I have to go on assignment. You can stay with me when I'm here, though," Tonks said hesitatingly.

"Can I call you Nia?"

"Ya."

"So we'll be Pia and Nia?"

"Yup."

"Sounds like it was meant to be."

Pia leaned forward, tentatively, and if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it. She hugged Tonks as if they were close sisters for life. Tonks stiffened, but softened as she realized the tears were not only in her eyes, but also in Pia's.

"My Nia," Pia said, and even though it was outrageously inappropriate, I felt a laugh bubbling up inside of me. Bill caught my eye, and from the twitching at the corners of his mouth, I could tell he found it as amusing as I did. Charlie looked as if he would cry, but as he turned to leave, a tall raven-haired beauty trotted over to him and slapped him.

"Charluh Weasluh," she said in a thick Irish brogue, "'Ave ya fergot 'ow ta use a phone?"

"Sioned, I have been home for a short time. I was going to call you later tonight, after I got back to the Burrow," Charlie said, rubbing his cheek. "Did you have to do that? We're in public, and you're working."

"Ah doona care, Charluh. Ya neaver called me after I got reassigned to tha area. Ah thoot ya'd call when ya were 'ome ta visit yer family. Boot now I know wha' ya dinna call. Ah, tha infamous Nia, are you?" I had surmised the raven girl to be the Sioned McCain. I backed away from the group, not wanting to be caught in the legendary McCain whirling dervish.

"Sioned, we are not doing this here," Charlie grated, still holding his smarting cheek. He looked at his brother, then at me, and Pia shored up her cousin. Sioned had turned her attention from Charlie to Tonks, and both Pia and Bill were closing ranks to keep Sioned from doing anything stupid.

Time for the marvelous Malfoy to step in.

"Sioned, allow me to introduce myself. Draco Malfoy, descended from the Malfoy, Black, Lestrange and several other old, pureblooded families. Pleasure to meet you," I said, grabbing her hand and pressing a kiss on the top of it. I met her eyes as I straightened up and slipped my arm around Pia. "Surely you've heard that our werewolf professor extraordinaire has re-entered the picture? So you need not worry over the past. Now, we must be leaving, if you don't mind. Charlie, we'll see you later, then?"

Tonks and Bill followed Pia and me out of the manor, leaving Sioned and Charlie to one another. Tonks smiled appreciatively, and Bill just looked tired. I knew that Lupin was hidden away somewhere, but Sioned didn't need to know that he was only with Tonks in her heart.

Pia's pov

We stopped at the Burrow to drop my things off to Molly, who would be getting a room ready for me. Because Tonks was my only other relative, I would have a room both with her and with the Weasleys. I would stay with Tonks when she was around, and the Weasleys when she wasn't. It was a neat trick, but I planned on getting my own place as soon as possible. I had plenty of money, thanks to Titus and Necromana's rather timely deaths. Perhaps then Draco could move in with me . . .

Molly fed us and Tonks and Bill took Draco and me back to Hogwart's, where Ron and the rest were waiting. I expected it to be as bad as when they first found out, but they were much better at school. Probably because they'd had some time to digest the whole thing.

"Pia, we'll help you get your things up to your room," Hermione said, grabbing a bag. I ended up bringing more stuff to school because . . . I don't know why. The people I called parents up until a few days ago were dead, so I can't even think of a reason why I brought all this crap with me. Screw it.

"Fine. Are you all coming?" I asked, looking at the quad and Draco. Tonks and Bill had scurried off, muttering about assignments and whatnot. Everyone nodded, and we each grabbed something and started lugging things upstairs.

My prefect's room had been completely cleaned, with no evidence anything bad had happened in it at all. My window was open, and a stack of goodies had been left on a table.

A house-elf appeared, someone we all recognized: Dobby, former house-elf to the Malfoys.

"Dobby will get Miss Pia anything she likes, he will. Will the Master's Pia like anything now?" Dobby asked, his big eyes blinking wide. We all laughed; house-elves are such a comical sight.

"Well, Draco and I had lunch, but I'm hungry again. How about some sandwiches, meatballs, ice cream, and chocolate frogs did I leave anything out, guys?" I asked, and every pair of eyes grew wide. "Oh, stop thinking that! I was just thinking about everyone's favorite foods. I am not craving anything. Merlin, is that all you people think about when a girl orders food?"

"Sorry, Pia," Ginny said, blushing and ducking her head into Harry's chest. "It's just that it was a weird combination, and "

"And I like to fuck like a rabbit, so of course I should be pregnant?"

Ron choked on air, and he was bright red. Draco was laughing, and Hermione was slapping Ron on his back, trying to get him to breath again.

"That wasn't fair, Pia. It was a mistake. You didn't need to say that to Ginny," Harry scolded me. I stuck my tongue out at him, and then smiled.

"I think you forget that while I'm a Weasley now, we still haven't forged a friendship among the six of us. I'm still in Slytherin and I am not going to ask to be sorted again and I'm new to being a Weasley. You don't even know my personality; if we are going to create a family among us, you all need to give me some time. Then we'll see about everything else. So this meal will be our first step. Capisce?" I said, pulling out the old Italian on them.

Everyone agreed, and Ron finally stopped choking. He looked me right in the eyes and spoke.

"Pia, we're all family now. I'll overlook what I can, but Malfoy will probably always be somewhat of a problem for me. But in honor of my uncle, and our shared lineage, I'll try," Ron said, trying to do the noble thing.

"I have to give respect to your family now, Weasley. Pia will be my wife, and we'll all be family. Even my ancestor Salazar Slytherin would have respected a family as pure-blooded as the Weasley line. So I'll try, too for Pia," Draco said, offering Ron his hand.

"But we'll still hex each other from time to time."


	14. The Uneasy Truce

**Two of a Kind**

**DISCLAIMER: We do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters therein. We do, however, own Persiopeia Black and all other original characters created for this story.**

Chapter 14: The Uneasy Truce

Draco's pov

I have never experienced anything quite so strange as what happened between the quad and Pia and me that day. After we all talked, and promised to hex one another occasionally, so we wouldn't fall out of practice, of course. We ate our dinner and shared almost completely civil conversation. Ron, Ginny and Hermione shared stories from their childhoods while Harry, Pia and I listened attentively and somewhat jealously; none of us had had the pleasure of a real childhood.

"Ah, yes, my last Christmas I received luggage. For my trousseau, you understand," Pia said, laughing, "As you could probably tell, Titus had already begun to plan my auction."

Hermione was the first to speak, "At least you know you were expensive!"

They all laughed, but I groaned as I realized the true meaning: It was going to be expensive, very expensive, to break the ties that already bound Pia and me, and I had to have my wits about me. I watched how easily she was fitting in with her new family. I envied her a little bit, having a real family; I was afraid, too. I don't want them to take her away from me, and that was what it looked like.

I couldn't stand that.

"I think I'll take my leave of you all for the evening. I'll be in my rooms later, Pia, should you choose to join me," I said stiffly, kissing her chastely on the cheek before I left. She was slightly startled by my abrupt departure, but I had to get out of there, at least for a while. I could feel her slipping away from me, into the Weasley-Potter nexus, and I couldn't stand to watch it happen.

"Ssure, Draco. I'll be in later," Pia said, confused. I left and she watched me go.

Pia's pov

I knew what was happening as Ron, Ginny and Hermione spoke of their pleasant childhoods; Harry, Draco and I were all jealous, but I think Draco was affected the most. Harry and I always knew we were outsiders, but Draco had never known why his father treated him so cruelly.

After Draco left, the mood in my sitting room dampened considerably. No-one bothered to try to make small talk for a while. Finally, Hermione spoke.

"How are you going to break your engagement, Pia?" Hermione asked gently. She was leaning back into Ron, and we had all pretty much finished our dinner.

"I'm not sure. Three adult, licensed wizards and witches witnessed PP's confession that Zabini is actually the father of her child. Draco is released from his engagement, but neither Zabini nor I are affected by this turn of events; apparently the old bloodlaws allow for a pureblood wizard to have a wife and at least one mistress, so long as both women were pureblooded as well. Both PP and I fit that description, so Zabini is in the clear," I said bitterly. I know she's trying to help, but honestly no-one knows how to kill a mood like Hermione.

"And the fact that he kidnapped you and tried to rape you has no bearing on the matter?" Ginny said, half-rising from her seat in indignation.

"I can clear that up, I think," Harry said, and I shot him a thankful look. "It has something to do with why I'm stuck at the Dursley's for a chunk of the summer: protection. Pia was raised by Titus and Necromana, and therefore that accorded her some protection. I think, by extension, that when they decided who she would marry, some of that protection transferred. In short, she's entrusted to the one person who would see her dead."

Ron piped in at that moment. "Why, Harry, I do believe that was a rather Hermione-like leap of logic."

"Thanks, mate," Harry said, slipping his arm lower around Ginny. Ron saw and growled at his best mate, and Harry immediately relocated his hand.

I nodded. "Something like that. I have a meeting with Snape tomorrow, and that's one of the things we're to talk about. He's going to help me."

Hermione stood up and waited for her friends to do the same. "Pia," she said to me kindly, "We'll help as much as possible. Just let us know, alright? I didn't mean to upset you earlier."

I smiled at her; she was always trying to help. "I know. I guess we're going to be related, too."

Hermione blushed and led Ron out. Harry and Ginny followed, but Ginny unexpectedly hugged me before dashing out.

I arranged my things and smiled at my room before I left for Draco's rooms. It was so nice being part of a family, a real family.

Draco's pov

I waited an interminably long time for Pia to come and find me. I paced around my rooms while I waited, and my impatience was beginning to get the better of me when Pia finally arrived. I stood and waited for her to close the door and face me.

"Draco, I do appreciate the efforts you're making with my ffamily," Pia said, her voice faltering over the new word. Her eyes were somewhat bright, and I could feel her hurt brimming out of them.

"Pia, I am trying, but I can't work miracles. I think we need to take more of our advice from Snape and less from Weasley and the rest," I said, reaching for her. She shook me off and looked at me.

"Draco, I know Snape is your favorite professor, and perhaps the closest thing you have to a father, but I have guardians that can help as well. Can we deal with this in the morning? I'm tired, and I've missed you beside me," Pia said, and she finally melted into my arms, raising her mouth for a kiss.

"For you, I would do anything, make an uneasy truce, do whatever it takes. You are my Pia, and you are worth all of that," I said, kissing her to seal my words.

Later that night, I woke to Pia crying gently into my shoulder. No words were made for the moment a girl realizes she has not only a family that loves her unconditionally, but that a man loves her and her friends love her, so I said nothing as I held her through that long night.


End file.
